


What wouldn't I do?

by gilleboll



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-09-28 14:18:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17184584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gilleboll/pseuds/gilleboll
Summary: Link is appointed Hylian Champion for saving princess Zelda's life. She doesn't seem very fond of him though. Despite his struggle to cope with carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, Link can't help but wonder if he really is ready to give his life in order to save someone who doesn't trust him.





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> (sort of canon-compliant, but i've decided to take some creative liberties!)

Link had always been a good swordsman, a skill that he had inherited from his father. He had always been expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a knight once he was old enough. Thirteen would usually not have been old enough, but since he had somehow managed to find and take the Blade of Evil’s Bane; the Master Sword, he had been swiftly enlisted — Hyrule would sooner or later depend on him. And so, he along with many other young men and women were brought to the military training camp north of Hyrule Castle Town to learn how to fight their enemies and defend their land. Training was never a breeze. Despite Link’s indisputable skill and youth, the instructors and generals never went easy on him, and he always went to bed exhausted and woke up sore the next day. At least time passed quickly, and before he knew it, the year of basic military training was over and he was enrolled to become a proper knight. This meant he and nine other recruits were to be trained and disciplined in a castle courtyard. They were to, among other things, learn how to apprehend intruders, how to care for armour and weapons, and how to work alongside the Guardians. The Guardians were still a mystery to most people — nobody really knew how they worked, and it took months of refining and research to get them to work as intended. Someone who Link had not expected to take such interest in the Guardians was the princess Zelda herself. She could be spotted chatting with Sheikah scientists, taking notes and studying the mechanics of the great machines whenever she wasn’t busy tending to her duties as a princess. During the inauguration of Link and his mates as proper knights, Link noticed how princess Zelda seemed to have lost some of her enthusiasm and energy that had been so very present whenever he had seen her learning about ancient Sheikah technology. He came to the conclusion that the knights of Hyrule weren’t of particular interest to her.

 

It was the middle of summer, and a select group of maybe fifteen knights were gathered to learn more about how the Guardians worked. The sun was bright and hot and none of the people gathered was wearing any of that heavy armour. They wouldn’t need it, nor would they need any of their weapons while they were instructed on the mechanics of a Guardian Walker. Out of the corner of his eye, Link spotted what he assumed was princess Zelda’s light blond hair swiftly disappearing around a corner.

”Feel free to join us, your Highness, if you aren’t occupied with something else,” the instructor said to someone behind the crowd of knights. Everyone’s heads turned to see who had just arrived, and it seemed Link had been right in thinking it was the princess he had spotted, because she had now snuck quietly into the courtyard to listen to the lecture. She smiled and said a quick thank you to the instructor before making her way to one of the free benches to sit down. Everyone’s attention was from here on out more focused on the princess who was diligently taking notes of whatever the Sheikah scientist told them. Everyone, except for Link’s. He had his eye on the Guardian, who’s ”eye” was spinning around, seemingly looking at each and every one present for the lesson. Out of nowhere, there was a great bang of noise that Link couldn’t place what it was or where it came from. The Guardian, as if it had a mind of it’s own spun it’s eye around wildly. The otherwise gentle blue glow emanating from the innards of the machine was now red — aggressive. Link saw how the eye of the Guardian was glowing brighter as it focused on the person sitting practically right in front of it. He knew what this meant. It was as if time had slowed down, and without as much as a thought, Link was on his feet, making a leap for a stray pot lid on the ground not far from him. At the same time as he closed his fingers around the handle, he spun around on his feet to face the direction of the Guardian. Using the momentum of the spin, he somehow managed to deflect the bright blue beam the Guardian had fired back at it. This was apparently enough to shut down the great machine. The red glow faded and the previously soft whirring of the mechanics was slowing to a stop. Behind him, Link heard the princess breathing fast. He looked over his shoulder at her, and she met his gaze with her green eyes wide open and her eyebrows drawn together.

”Wh- thank you…” she managed, although she sounded a little shaken. Link gave her a short nod in response before he remembered who had just spoken to him.

”Your Highness,” he quickly added, hoping she hadn’t taken offence.

 

The same evening as the Guardian malfunction, Link’s superior pulled him aside after dinner. Link couldn’t decide if he looked angry or not.

”I’ve heard what happened today, Link.”

”Am I in trouble, sir?” Link asked with his eyebrows raised.

”Quite the opposite. Not many people have such an instinct to protect someone else, much less the reflexes to actually manage it. Especially not someone so fresh out of training. As thanks for saving his daughter’s life, the king wants you to become the princess’s appointed knight.” What? This wasn’t what Link had expected at all. He thought he’d get into trouble for shutting down one of the few functioning Guardians, but apparently not. His superior gave him a pat on the back before telling him to gather his belongings. Tonight would be the last night he spent in the knights’ quarters. He was woken up early the following morning by a member of castle staff he had never seen before, which meant he wasn’t from the kitchens, nor did he clean the knights’ quarters. The boy who Link assumed was a servant helped him carry his belongings through quite a few winding castle hallways and up staircases. Link had a suspicion as to where they were headed.

”Since you’ll be appointed to the princess herself, you’re going to have the same status as the Royal Guard, sir,” the servant boy said, confirming Link’s suspicion.

”You don’t need to call me sir,” he said, feeling a little awkward. He had never been fond of being called ”sir” or anything of the like, and he’d managed to convince the kitchen staff to stop calling him that every time he came down to have a snack. The servant boy nodded, but didn’t say anything else until they reached a door at the end of a short hallway. If Link wasn’t mistaken, they had arrived. He’d never set foot in the Royal Guard’s quarters before, although he knew roughly where they were. The boy opened the door to what looked like some sort of common room, with tables and seating and a small group of people sitting around one of the tables playing some sort of game. Some of the people were wearing their uniform, while some were only wearing part of it, or just their ordinary clothes. One of them looked up as the door opened.

”This the appointed knight?” he asked. The man was maybe the same age as Link’s father, but probably a little younger. He was clean-shaven with short, auburn-coloured hair. He looked kind.

”Yes,” Link said shortly. He hoped he didn’t sound disrespectful, but he wasn’t prepared to hold a full conversation.

”Alright. You have a lot to do today, don’t let us bother you,” the man said, raising a hand before turning back to the game.

”They’re under orders to not interfere with your duties today,” the servant explained. ”Let me show you your sleeping quarters.”

 

Whatever Link had expected from the sleeping quarters, this had not been it. He had expected some sort of sleeping hall where every Royal Guard who lived in the castle all slept in the same room, but that was not the case. Instead he had been shown into another short hallway with many doors along the walls. The servant boy, who was named Tott, had explained that there are few enough guards that they get a room to share with just one other person. Link apparently shared his room with someone named Rynds. He hadn’t had much time to settle in, though, because he had things to tend to almost all day. He were to be formally appointed by king Rhoam himself, then he were to meet the princess and get instructions for his duties as an appointed knight, then there was apparently some sort of ceremony, and after that there was a dinner he had to attend. There was probably more that Link had missed during Tott’s quick briefing of the day’s schedule. Once he’d been left alone, he had an hour to get ready and make his way to the sanctum. As fast as he could, he washed himself and his hair in the Royal Guard’s bathroom (which was much nicer than the ordinary knights’, he might add), and put on a new tunic that had apparently been made for him. The fabric of the tunic was soft and sky blue, with details embroidered in white. It was quite a piece of handiwork, Link thought as he put it on, but he didn’t really understand why he wasn’t given a Royal Guard’s uniform to wear.Once he was ready, he was escorted to the sanctum by Tott and two uniformed guards. The meeting in the sanctum hadn’t been much different from Link’s inauguration as a knight, except for the fact that this time, he was the only one being honoured, not one of ten people. Things only really started to feel different as Link met with the king alone.

”Your highness,” Link said, bowing in front of the king.

”Appointed knight,” king Rhoam responded. ”You must realise that this is a great honour, and that this duty is to be taken seriously.”

”I do, your highness.”

”Good. I’m going to make a guess that you have some kind of idea of what it means to be the princess’s appointed knight. You accompany her wherever she goes outside of this castle. You protect her with your life, no matter what. You are also to help her and the four Champions, should Calamity Ganon return. With the Master Sword on your back, and with that tunic, you are to be the Hylian Champion. Do you understand?”

”I do, your highness.”

”Very well. You will be officially named Hylian Champion by my daughter in a ceremony this afternoon. I trust she will guide you through it.”

”Thank you, your highness.”

 

As the king said, there was a ceremony in the afternoon. Link had met the princess and the Champions and he had been officially made part of the team, as to speak. Afterwards, there had been a banquet with delicious food and a lot of laughter, just not from Link. He wanted to enjoy the banquet, he really did, but the words of the king had settled like a weight in his chest. This was life or death. He had known that since the moment he had been enlisted to become a knight in the first place, but it hadn’t really become real until he had actually been made Champion.

After the banquet, Link had been sent to have a walk with the princess. Despite the warm summer air, the princess’ presence felt cold. She didn’t say much until they reached the outskirts of Castle Town.

”How did you find the Master Sword?” Her voice didn’t sound friendly or curious like it did whenever she’d asked questions to the scientists. Link was a little taken aback by the sudden breaking of the silence.

”I… It, uhm-” he didn’t have time to find the right words before the princess spoke again.

”Never mind. That isn’t my business.” She spoke shortly, Link thought it sounded almost resentful. Had she been offended that he didn’t immediately call her by her title yesterday? That was the only reason he could think of as to why the princess seemed so put off by him. Part of him wanted to ask, but he figured that it was best to stay silent as to not upset her further.

 

They didn’t need to be friends just because they had roles to fulfil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, and that you'll want to keep reading as i keep writing ! it's been a while since i wrote something with actual chapters so i apologise if it's not the best


	2. Journey

Link sat on his new bed, replaying the events of the day in his head. Each time he repeated the king’s words to himself, it was as if his insides were filled with icy water. He remembered how his father and the officer in charge of his military training had sat him down and explained that one day Hyrule and everyone in it would depend on him, all because he had pulled the Master Sword. Ever since that day, the chill of dread had felt ever present, like a quiet buzzing in the back of his head; but it had never felt as real or palpable as it did tonight. He felt like there was a heavy weight in his stomach, he couldn’t feel his hands and the usually quiet buzzing occupied all room for thought. It was official — the fate of the world depended on him. Link felt how his breathing got faster, shallower. Despite his sixteen years of age, all he wanted was to feel the embrace of his mother again, like when he was a child. Before all of this. But he couldn’t. This was his burden to bear, and he was going to bear it alone. It wasn’t right of him to make his responsibility a weight on anybody else’s conscience. He was suddenly dragged back into reality by the sound of people talking in the hall on the other side of the door. Way sooner than Link would have wished, someone, presumably Ryds had entered the room.

”Hey, Link was it?”

Link didn’t speak, he didn’t trust his voice to be steady. Instead, he gave a nod in response.

”Pleasure. I’m Ryds. Good first day?”

Link nodded again and cleared his throat.

”’S fine,” he said, the words sounded more like a mumble than anything else. He hoped with every fibre of his body that Ryds wouldn’t figure out he’d been panicking less than a minute ago.

”That’s good. You look tired, I’m going to let you sleep,” Ryds said, giving Link a pat on the back before turning to his side of the room. Link didn’t bother to change into his sleeping shirt before pulling the blanket over his head, he simply kicked off his boots and tried to sleep.

 

The following morning Link awoke feeling anything but rested. He had spent at least half the night tossing and turning, his anxieties rendering him unable to fall asleep. Once he did fall asleep he had been abruptly awoken in the early hours of the morning by a loud snore from Ryds. At that point Link didn’t feel there was any idea to try getting any more sleep. He looked out the window. The sun had yet to rise, but he could see the horizon was turning golden. As quietly as he could, he set his bare feet down on the cool stone floor and reached for his boots and the blue tunic. Once dressed, Link sneaked out into the common area. What would he do until breakfast? He doubted there was much going on in the kitchens yet, and even if there was, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be around the kitchen staff today. No, he needed to be alone — to think. The castle was very quiet as Link made his way out, he would have thought it was empty if he didn’t know better. The castle grounds were quiet as well. Only the odd bird and the soft rippling of the waterfalls running into the moat made themselves known. Link breathed in the fresh early morning air and felt how a sense of calm washed over him. There was something about the outdoors — especially when the light morning mist was still shrouding the trees — that made Link feel… at home. He couldn’t help but wonder if he would spend more, or less time out in the country as princess Zelda’s appointed knight. He doubted she left the castle and its grounds very often. But still, he could hope.

 

Link’s favourite place to sit and let his thoughts run wild was the little cluster of waterfalls near the docks. There wasn’t many people passing through these parts of the grounds; practically only the workers from the docks whenever they were bored, which meant that Link was for the most part left to his own devices. This was where he spent his morning, waiting for the sun to rise and breakfast to be served. He sat on the dewy grass, observing the wildlife as it was slowly waking up on the opposite side of the castle moat. Slowly but surely, the bright rays of sunlight started to shine through the trees, making the dewdrops on the foliage glimmer. If this was what Link’s fate bound him to protect, maybe it would be worth it. Then his thoughts shifted to the princess and her distain for him the previous evening, and his short moment of clarity ended. He had promised that he would protect her with his life, but when he thought of giving his life to save princess Zelda’s, his jaw clenched uncomfortably. Yes, it was part of his duties as a knight to be willing to give his life for the Royal Family and Hyrule, but the whole thing seemed way less appealing knowing that the person you gave your life for detested you. Link sighed, burying his face in his hands. He was _not_ looking forward to doing his job.

”Oi! Aren’t you one of those knight fellas?”

Startled, Link sat straight up. The shout had come from his right.

”Hey, you!” the voice sounded once more. Link looked around for the person who had shouted for him, feeling a little exasperated. Once he spotted the person — a young woman he recognised as a dock worker — was waving at him. With a groan, Link stood up and stretched before making his way over to the woman.

”Is there a problem?” he asked once she was close enough that he wouldn’t have to yell.

”Not for me,” she answered, a light smile playing on her lips. ”But you might find yourself with a problem, aren’t you lot supposed to be eating around now?” Really? Had time just passed Link by, almost completely unnoticed?

”Uh… Yes. We are,” he replied sheepishly. It really wouldn’t be ideal if it got out that the princess’ appointed knight nearly missed breakfast because he was sat daydreaming. ”Thank you, uh…-”

”Cal. My name’s Cal.”

”Well then, thank you Cal.”

”You’re welcome, mr. Knight. Now get your ass up to the dining hall before you’re late,” she said, waving him off.

 

Luckily Link hadn’t been the last one to arrive in the dining hall, and he sank down on a bench next to Ryds with a sigh. Without as much as a word he started piling food onto his plate. After all, the key to success was a hearty breakfast. After a few minutes of eating in nearly complete silence, everyone’s assignments were announced by Parr, the head of the Royal Guard.

”Larrs, Col, Sumson, Ryds: sanctum — first shift. Aren, Gil, Follen, Helle: sanctum — second shift. Fudd, you’re on the main gate with Rutt — first shift. Tell that to her when she arrives. And then there’s…” Parr looked at the people currently seated at the table, then down at a list he held in his hand. ”Yes. Of course. Link. You’re accompanying the princess to Goron City today. Go to the stables and make sure the horses are ready.”

”Will do, sir,” Link responded. He hadn’t thought he’d get to leave castle grounds much today, much less go on a long trip across at least half the country. How lucky could he get? On his way to the stables though, he gave the assignment some more thought, and realised that this type of mission was probably very rare, and not only that, he would be making the long trip with the princess. Who seemed to hate him. By the time Link had reached the stables, his hopes for a pleasant journey to the mountains were very small. He figured that his best chance at a pleasant trip was if the princess decided against making conversation. Deciding to let that train of thought to go for now, Link opened the stable door.

”Hello?” someone called from inside one of the stalls.

”Uh,” Link replied, unsure of what to say. Mercifully, the stableboy looked out of the stall he was in to see who had just arrived.

”I take it you’re the Hylian Champion,” he said and raised his eyebrows quizzically. Link nodded. ”I’ve got princess Zelda’s horse nearly ready, and yours is good to go. I hope Kato is a good fit for you.”

”Sounds good.” Kato was a brown, quite young stallion, and he was the offspring of his father’s old horse, and Link had got on well with him in the past. The stableboy nodded in acknowledgement before he turned his attention back to the princess’ white steed. The stable door creaked open once more and princess Zelda’s voice rang out.

”Talph? How are you doing? Is Jita ready yet?” She sounded much more pleasant today than she had yesterday which made Link feel a little more hopeful about the journey to come. Link saw how the stableboy — Talph — struggled with the buckles of the halter whilst calling out that Jita was as good as ready. The princess nodded contently. She then turned to Link.

”Are you ready to go?” she asked, and Link could tell how she was making an effort to not sound as bitter as she had in the past. Despite this however, Link couldn’t bring himself to say anything in return. Instead, he gave a curt nod and walked off to fetch the horses.

 

The trip so far had been uneventful. The way to Death Mountain was by far the easiest part of the journey. By sundown they were nearly at the encampment at the foot of the mountain. There, they would stay the night before making the final trek up to Goron City. This had been the only thing that the princess had said during almost the entire day, other than telling him to stop whenever she had needed a break. As they were riding over the top of a semi-steep hill, she spotted something ahead of them.

”There it is. Come on.”

She urged her now quite tired horse to gallop the last few hundred yards, and Link followed suit. Hyrulean knights greeted them at the camp, glad to see that they’d made it okay. Once both of them had dismounted their horses it hadn’t taken long before they had been served food and their horses had been taken care of. During the dinner, princess Zelda had chatted politely with whoever spoke to her. It seemed like she had told people that Link was not one to talk to, because no one as much as attempted to. Link didn’t know if he was relieved to be left alone or not. Once he had eaten two servings of salted steak, and once he had made sure that the princess was under the guard of the knights, he made a short hike over a hill on the side of the mountain trail. In the small valley where he ended up, he took out the sword that had been resting on his back the whole day. It gleamed silver in the pale moonlight, and despite the fact that the sword hadn’t seen use for days, the hilt felt warm in Link’s hand. It felt strangely comforting.

 

Link did not return to the encampment until many hours later, tired and sweaty. Everybody was asleep, save for two knights who were keeping watch by the fire. They quietly wondered where Link had been off to and why he looked so worn, but Link simply raised a hand at them when he walked past. He noticed there was an empty bed next to the one the princess was sleeping on. Thanks to the heat of the volcano on top of his exhaustion, Link didn’t need any blankets to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really struggled with the names in this chapter , coming up with zelda-ish names is harder than i expected lmao!  
> i know this chapter is sort of uneventful but i'll get around to some more fun stuff sooner rather than later,,, anyway i hope you enjoyed!


	3. Hiking

Even the foot of Death Mountain was _hot_. The summer sun in combination with the natural heat of the volcano caused yet another early awakening for Link. It turned out that he wasn’t the only one who was unable to sleep for very long in this climate, as he could hear the movement of a few people outside of the canvas tents that housed the cots.

”Not a cloud on the sky… It’s going to get very hot today — are you sure that going to Goron City today is wise, your majesty?”

”While I appreciate your concern, captain, when I choose to go is frankly none of your business. My capabilities to reach Goron City are just fine — and so is my judgement.”

Yikes. It seemed princess Zelda was out of bed. And she was not pleased.

”And _where_ is my appointed knight?”

And with that, getting out of bed became most urgent. Link scrambled out of bed and hurriedly searched the floor for the clothes he’d discarded the night before.

”Ah. There you are,” the princess said once Link exited the tent, hopping on one leg as he struggled to put on his second boot. ”We’re off in half an hour. Make sure you’re ready.” She walked off without waiting for any kind of response or acknowledgement, which Link thought maybe was for the best. He watched the princess walk away until she ducked in under the canvas flaps of one of the tents and disappeared out of sight. He realised that he only had thirty minutes to prepare for the hike up to Goron City, and scurried off to find himself some breakfast. One baked apple and some mushroom stew later, he was weaving through the steadily growing crowd of people who had woken up in an attempt to reach his horse and the rest of his packing, where he had kept the food rations that had been sent with him and the princess for the trip. Mostly, their brought-along food consisted of dried fruits and meats, but there was also some bread and herbs to be found. Link stashed as much of the food as he could in his pockets and pouches; he was not about to go on a day’s hike with princess Zelda in her current mood without at least a bite to eat.

 

A few minutes later, Link and the princess were prepared and ready to keep on moving towards Goron City. The knight that was to see them off pulled Link aside to speak a word of warning.

”There have been an increase in reports of monsters along the trail. Make sure to keep an eye out,” he said quietly, and shifted his gaze toward the princess for a moment. Link supposed the knight had learned — either the hard way or through his captain — that princess Zelda was in no mood for interference, and that that was the reason she did not get to partake in this information.

”Hurry up, will you?” the princess called from a bit up the trail. Link gave a thankful nod to the knight before he set off in a jog towards princess Zelda. She had not made much of an effort to stop and wait for him, which left a bitter taste in his mouth. Link seriously couldn’t understand what her majesty’s problem with him — and apparently, other knights — was. He clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. Better not to upset the princess further, for both their sakes. The Death Mountain trail got progressively steeper and increasingly hotter as the hours went by. Mercifully, Link had yet to see much of a trace of a monster, much less several of them. He desperately hoped that todays heat had driven all monsters into seeking shelter rather than planning an ambush.

”Halfway,” the princess said, returning Link from somewhere in his mind to the real world. Princess Zelda was walking a couple yards ahead of him, and she was looking down at something in her hands, but Link couldn’t tell what. Presumably it was a map of some kind. A sudden breeze rumpled Link’s hair and tunic, but rather than cooling him down, it somehow made him feel even hotter. In spite of his desire to keep the princess’ irritation to a minimum, Link could not go on in this sweltering heat.

”With all due respect, your highness, but we can’t keep going in temperatures like this. Are you-”

The princess turned on her heel to face him, and when she spoke, it was with utmost restraint.

”Yes we can. Now, if you intend to keep questioning my decisions, feel more than free to turn back. I was not the one that asked for you to accompany me.” With that, she turned back around and kept walking. Link gave a sigh and did the same. There was a sudden flash of something flying through the air in front of him. Startled, Link caught the object; it was a clear glass bottle filled with a dark liquid.

”Fireproof elixir,” the princess said without facing him. ”Put some on your skin, it will keep you cool.”

Link did not respond. Instead, he silently deliberated with himself whether he should use the elixir or if he should reject it. Thanks to yet another gust of disgustingly hot wind he decided it would be better to use the contents of the bottle. The princess had not been lying — the fireproof elixir made him feel instantly cooler. A wave of thankfulness towards princess Zelda washed over Link. Even if she wasn’t fond of him she had still shown him some compassion, which was relieving, since Link hadn’t truly expected much of it.

 

Further up the trail they could hear what sounded like yelling and some kind of strange gargling. Every muscle in Link’s body suddenly tensed.

”There’s something going on in the mines,” the princess said, stopping in her tracks.

”Stay back, I’ll go check it out,” Link said as he kept walking past her.

”I am perfectly capable of that myself, thank you very much,” she responded without the same restraint she had done earlier. She was very clearly annoyed with him.

”You aren’t armed. I am. Stay back.”

”Fine.” Princess Zelda crossed her arms with a huff and she sat down on a sizeable rock on the side of the trail. Without wasting more time, Link jogged towards the source of the commotion, his hand firmly placed on the hilt of his sword. He rounded a corner where the trail widened. A large, flat area with steep cliff walls surrounding it on nearly all sides was not what Link had expected a mine to look like. Before he’d had much time to take in the area, something hit him hard in the side and he was briefly sent flying.

”You alright there little guy?” a gruff voice asked. Link swiftly got up and saw who had spoken. It was a large Goron wearing a yellow helmet with a light on the front; he was undoubtedly a miner. He was cornered by two large maroon lizard-like creatures Link knew to be some kind of Lizalfos. While he knew what Lizalfos were, he had always been advised to avoid them and therefore never actually faced one. Until now, it seemed. He drew his sword and it glistened brilliantly in the afternoon sun. The Lizalfos closest to him abandoned the Goron to instead turn its focus to Link. He barely had time to react before the monster strode to action. Its slimy tongue flicked towards Link, who this time managed to get out of the way in time. Lesson learned; Lizalfos were faster than expected. Link quickly retaliated with a slice of his sword. The attack had only seemed to agitate the big lizard further seeing as it let out the same strange gargling sound Link had heard earlier before it spewed out a jet of flames from its mouth. Woah! Link didn’t know Lizalfos could spit fire. Said spitting of fire was cut short thanks to the Goron taking action. He had hit it hard over the back with a drillshaft. Link saw this as his chance. In one swift move, he moved out of the way of the falling monster and he gripped the Master Sword with both hands and struck the Lizalfos hard over the back of the neck. When it had hit the ground, it did not get back up.

”Good one,” the Goron said appreciatively before lifting his Lizalfos as if it were light as a feather, and chucked it across the flat mining area. The second monster did not get back up either. Link looked up at the boulder-like Goron with a light smile.

”Thanks. You too,” he panted, and he then sheathed his sword. The Goron waved the compliment off with a chuckle before donning a serious face again.

”It looked like you got hit real good when you arrived though. Those tails really aren’t messing around. You should take a look at that when you reach the city.”

Link nodded in response.

 

Just as Link turned around to fetch the princess, she rounded the corner.

”I heard a ruckus. Is everything all right?” she asked. She then spotted the dead Lizalfos closest to her and looked surprisingly excited. ”Oh! I’ve never seen a Fire-breathing Lizalfos in person before.” She knelt down beside it and leaned in, as if to study it more closely. Link, eager to keep moving towards Goron City before more Lizalfos arrived, cleared his throat and looked at the princess. She met his eyes and it seemed she realised where she was.

”Of course. Yes, let’s move,” she said resolutely and stood up. She brushed the dust off her knees and then they were off once more. Link raised his hand to the Goron, who did the same. It had looked like the Goron had wanted to ask several questions as Link and princess Zelda walked away, but Link had not been sure what he would respond. He would probably have had some of the same questions. The rest of the hike to the city was comparatively quite calm; they only encountered the odd traveler making their way down the mountain and niceties were exchanged between the princess and her people. When they finally reached Goron City, the sun was hanging low in the sky and their elongated shadows reached far in front of them as they walked. The Goron Champion Daruk greeted them enthusiastically on the big metal bridge in the middle of town. Daruk was oddly positive about his duty as a Champion despite the fact that he had children. Nevertheless, he was kind. Link had thought as much when they had first met, but it was only confirmed now. He showed Link around the city before the two of them followed the princess to the Divine Beast Vah Rudania. The best word Link could come up with for the Divine Beast was ”impressive”. Its sleek stone-like body shone in the evening sun and Link couldn’t believe he’d actually get to board it tomorrow morning. The trio watched as the sun set on the mountain before they headed back into town to get some sleep. Just like at home in the castle, Link and the princess would be sleeping in separate quarters; something that was greatly appreciated by Link. Selfish as it was, he did not want to be the first one to greet her if she was in a mood similar to today’s. Once the draperies separating his ”bedroom” from the others had been closed, he started to undress. When he had taken off his tunic and undershirt — he would _not_ be sleeping with a shirt on in this temperature — he saw that there was a large purple-ish blue bruise blooming on his right side where the Lizalfos had got him. He touched it gingerly with his left hand; it was a little sore but not too bad, he would be fine in a few days. With that settled, he crawled into bed.

 

”Rise and shine, Link!”

He awoke to Daruk trying his best to poke him lightly, and not really succeeding. Link gave off a grunt and peered up at the huge Goron standing by his bedside.

”Breakfast is served if you want it,” he said before leaving Link alone to get ready for the day. On the other side of one of the draperies he could hear Zelda doing the same.

”Morning,” she said with a curt nod. Link gave a nod in return, then they set off to have breakfast. Goron breakfasts were very different from Hylian breakfasts. Instead of eggs, vegetables and the like, they were met with a table were grilled meats of different kinds were served. Princess Zelda didn’t seem as surprised as Link felt, but then again, she had visited Goron City before so maybe she was used to it. They sat down and started filling up their plates with food. Link, who didn’t feel like steak or poultry was very suited for breakfast, plated up a serving of fish. He was quite surprised to see that the princess grabbed a serving of poultry — he hadn’t taken her as someone who ate big breakfasts. She ignored him looking at her and started eating without a word. Link snapped back into reality and started eating his fish. Wow. The Gorons really knew how to grill meat, and the famous Goron spice only made it better. Link now understood why the princess had chosen poultry even if it wasn’t a typical breakfast food.

* * *

 

Boarding a Divine Beast was unlike most things Link had ever done. It was very strange to feel how the Beast moved and walked once everybody had boarded it, and keeping the balance was tough. When inside it, Link felt a little bit nauseous; the disconnect between the motion of the Divine Beast and himself was a bit much for his body. Daruk apparently also disliked being inside the Divine Beast and asked if they could discuss business outside. Link took this to mean that they would leave the Beast and return to the ground, but no. Instead they ended up on the back of the huge machine. He liked it much better up here, where he could feel the (still excruciatingly hot) wind on his face and he could see the incredible view. The princess quickly returned to the inside of the Divine Beast to, in her words, ”fine-tune the controls”. While she was left to her own devices, Daruk had taken the opportunity to chat with Link, further confirming his kindness. Even though Link had trouble finding any words, Daruk had treated him just as well as the princess whom he knew much better. Soon though, the princess had called for Daruk to join her and thus Link was left alone on top of the Divine Beast. He could see all the way home to the castle from his perch. Even though he couldn’t tell apart individual people, horses or even houses in Castle Town from this distance, he wondered how his family was doing. Maybe his little sister was just now waking up. Maybe she had woken up early and eaten breakfast with their parents. He missed them, he never had much time to see them anymore; he never really did since being enlisted in military training three years ago, but he had a suspicion that he would have even less time now that he had to follow a completely different — and unpredictable — schedule.

”All right, I’m finished. Let’s go home,” Zelda’s voice called from somewhere behind him. Link got up slowly and felt his joints complaining from the long sit — he really did have an affinity for losing the time daydreaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last update of 2018 - happy new year ! i'll try to post at least one more chapter before school starts back up again, but we'll see how i manage
> 
> i hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. Riding

The weeks went by, and with time, Link started to feel accustomed to his new assignment. Neither he nor the princess were especially fond of each other, but after a few days there formed a sort of rhythm to their interactions. They didn’t speak much to each other, and whenever they did it still felt strained; but Link could see how the princess looked a little less… uptight. Nevertheless though, she still sounded like she exercised some restraint to sound civil with him. Another thing Link grew accustomed to during his time escorting the princess was seeing Hyrule — princess Zelda travelled a lot for being the only heir to the Hyrulean throne. Today, she and Link were on their way back from Hateno Village, where they had paid a visit to Purah in her lab. When they left, the princess had been less than pleased with the amount of answers she had gotten about the strange tablet she carried with her everywhere she went, which she called a Sheikah Slate.

”I can’t believe how little we still know! Ganon could come back at any moment and we have no real answers as to how we defeat it. Not to mention, I still… never mind,” she said, looking out over the valley below them. Link, who was riding behind the princess’ horse on the narrow path was pretty sure he knew what she had meant before she trailed off. He had, more times than he cared to admit, overheard the king talking to his daughter about the sealing power, and every time she had insisted in going to one of the Goddess Springs to pray. Link wasn’t stupid; he could put two and two together. Princess Zelda couldn’t harness the sealing power yet, and Link was almost entirely sure that was what she kept almost bringing up. After a moment’s silence, she continued speaking. ”But at least we know bit about the Divine Beasts. In fact, Mipha is getting quite good at controlling Vah Ruta.” Link thought about Mipha. She was somewhat of a childhood friend of his, and he was always pleased to hear that she was doing well. He didn’t really have the time to visit Zora’s Domain nowadays, but that didn’t mean that Mipha didn’t often cross his mind; especially now that she was Zora Champion. He was hit by a sudden pang of sentimentality. Maybe he should pay her a visit whenever he got a free day next time; because there were free days too. There were days where the princess had things to tend to all day and where she didn’t leave the castle — Link got those days to do whatever he wanted, and usually he spent those days visiting his family in castle town; letting his mother and father dote on him and playing with his little sister. But perhaps next time he should pay a visit to Zora’s domain, before it’s too cold.

 

”Link, look down there!” The princess had stopped her horse and she was pointing down at the ground below them. Link craned his neck to see what she was pointing at, but he couldn’t see much out of the ordinary. ”Are those people chasing a fairy?” Now he saw. What he thought was just two persons running across the equestrian riding course — perhaps chasing away a wild animal — were in actuality chasing a glimmering sprite that was fleeing from them at high speed.

”No. That’s a-” he didn’t finish his sentence before he realised how dire the situation could be. He had to get down there. He spurred on his horse and left the princess in his dust, halfway up the path. That sprite down there was a Korok, he was sure of it. Someone chasing a Korok could very well be doing so with malicious intent. Not long ago, word had reached the castle that members of the Yiga Clan had been making attempts at finding where the Master Sword had been hidden, presumably so that they could find out more about the one who wielded it. These people, Link thought, could very well be a danger to the Champions and their mission. He’d rather be safe than sorry. When he reached the bottom of the valley he could clearly see that both of the people chasing the Korok were armed. It was time to intervene. As if he’d done it several times before, Link moved his feet out of the stirrups and onto the saddle. To be fair, he had been extensively trained in horseback riding and all that it entailed, and he had practised jumping off of a moving horse. He put his weight on his right foot and pushed himself off the horse. He flew through the air, pulling his sword from his back. Without warning he performed an air slash that landed right in front of perpetrators, both of whom let out sounds of surprise.

”Woah! _What_ are you doing?” the taller of the two asked, sounding absolutely bewildered.

”What are _you_ doing?” Link asked in response, still separating the people and the Korok with his body.

”That… thing — that’s currently escaping thanks to you, by the way — has been wreaking havoc and disturbing training for days,” the shorter of the two said while he shot Link a look that would have set something on fire if it could.

”Wreaking havoc how?”

”Spooking the horses, stealing fruits, stuff like that.”

Link wondered how calm of a life these two must have had if a lone Korok playing pranks on them counted as ”wreaking havoc”. He also wondered why there was a Korok so far away from the Lost Woods in the north.

”What’s going on?” the princess called from atop her horse as she trotted along down the path.

”P-princess!” the shorter one exclaimed.

”Your highness!” the taller one said at the exact same time. They then launched into an impossible to follow explanation where they kept trying to talk over each other. Princess Zelda let out an exasperated sigh.

”Please, you must understand that I can’t possibly hear what you’re saying when you keep speaking over each other,” she said with an authoritative voice that Link had never heard before. The two strangers immediately quieted down and muttered apologies.

”Thank you. Now, I would appreciate it if you moved along.”

”But, your highness, the-”

”I’m quite sure my appointed knight is more than capable of taking care of your little troublemaker. You’re dismissed.”

The strangers gave a quick bow each for the princess before walking off towards Fort Hateno. Princess Zelda looked after them, her eyebrows drawn together in a frown. Link squatted down and looked at the speeding sprite, waiting for it to come back around towards them.

”If it isn’t a fairy, then what is it?” the princess asked.

”Korok,” Link responded, just as the sprite slowed to a stop in front of him and suddenly shifted form. It was no longer a formless sprite, it looked more like a wooden doll wearing a leaf for a mask. ”They help guard the Master Sword.”

”I see,” she said, suddenly sounding less curious and more distant than she had in days. What bothered her? That Link knew something that she didn’t? If that were the case, Link thought she was acting quite childishly. Since she didn’t ask any more questions, he turned to the Korok.

”Why are you so far from home?” he asked it.

”I got lost,” a high voice rang out from behind the leaf-mask. ”And then I ended up here. But how did you know where Koroks live?” Link gestured to the sword on his back, and the little Korok made a sound of understanding. ”Ohhh. Well then, mister Hero! Could you be so kind and help me get home?”

”Yes, I can,” he said. ”You can sit on my horse with me; we’re headed in the right direction.”

The Korok enthusiastically agreed and said its many thanks to both the hero and the princess.

 

It was nighttime once they reached the end of the path and the beginning of the Lost Woods. The Korok, who had been chatting cheerily with the princess got very excited as it started to recognise its surroundings.

”Are you sure you can find your way home from here?” princess Zelda asked as the Korok hopped off of Link’s steed.

”Oh yes. Thank you very much, mister Hero and miss Princess!” it responded. Then, it gave a wave before waddling off into the forest. The princess gave a little chuckle as she turned her horse around. Link’s eyes followed the tiny creature until it was fully concealed by the fog of the Lost Woods, then he turned his horse around as well and followed the same path as the princess. For a few minutes, they rode through the thinning trees in silence. Link head the princess inhale, and then exhale.

”So it was in there that you found the sword that seals the darkness,” she finally said. It sounded less like a question, and more like a statement. Link didn’t respond. The rest of the ride back to the castle was silent. Between the castle gate and the first gatehouse, the princess broke the silence once more. ”I want you to meet me by my quarters at eight tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.”

”Yes, princess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year! i hope you had a good new year's!   
> like i said before, i don't know how often i'll be able to add new chapters for a while once school begins again next week. sorry about that! either way i do hope that when i do update, that you enjoy it!


	5. Anger

As Link silently made his way up towards the princess’ room he felt some tension in the air, and it had nothing to do with the weather. The late summer sun shone in through the windows as it ascended in the sky. No, this tension was something else. Every member of castle staff that he met looked like they felt it too; their steps were hurried and their greetings were quieter than usual. When he turned the last corner towards princess Zelda’s quarters, he met a girl he recognised as one of the princess’ handmaidens. She grabbed his arm to stop him in his tracks. He gave the girl a quizzical look. When she spoke, it wasn’t much more than a mumble.

”You might not want to burst in there just yet,” she said, and before Link could ask for an elaboration, she was hurrying down the corridor. He soon found that he hadn’t needed much of an explanation — he was barely halfway down the hallway to princess Zelda’s room when he heard aggravated voices from behind her door.

” _But we need to know about them!_ ”

” _Listen to me, Zelda, all you need to know is how to seal Ganon away when it returns. You do not have time to waste on this research. Nor do the scientists — let them do their job and focus on yours._ ”

” _Father please listen-_ ”

But the princess didn’t get to finish her sentence. The door opened and out strode king Rhoam, looking less than pleased.

”Don’t let her out of your sight today,” he said to Link as they passed each other, and Link could hear the same temper that he had heard in the princess, in the king. Like father, like daughter, he supposed. When he knocked on princess Zelda’s door, he was unsure of in which state he would find her. Would she be upset? Pretend like nothing had just happened? Lash out? Probably the latter.

” _Come in._ ”

Contrary to his beliefs, the princess did not immediately lash out at him. In actuality, she looked quite composed.

”There you are. I owe the garrison a visit; I should be on my way,” she said before Link had even stepped inside the room. He quickly backed out the door to make way for the princess as she strode quickly out. She seemed to be in such a hurry that Link found himself struggling to keep up with her. He also struggled to see why she was going to the garrison. During all his time involved with the military, he had never heard of the princess getting involved with its business — that was always the king’s doing. So why then, had the princess decided that she was going to the garrison today?

”I can make it there myself. You don’t need to come,” she said over her shoulder. The king’s order to not let princess Zelda out of his sight echoed in his mind.

 

Castle Town was bustling with noise and people this morning. It took Link longer than he wanted to admit to remember that today must be the start of the summer market, when people come from far and wide to sell their wares. He made a mental note to visit some of the stands once he was off duty. For now though, he had to focus on getting through the crowds flooding the streets without accidentally harming any of them. This was easier said than done. He had to stop once and comfort a young child who had gotten scarily close to Kato’s hooves. Once he was sat on his saddle again, he noticed that the princess had not stopped to wait for him; she was now at quite a distance from him. Following the king’s orders suddenly got much more difficult. When the princess disappeared around a corner, Link found himself not even halfway down the street. He swore quietly to himself each time he had to slow down or stop for someone. He couldn’t lose the princess and fail at doing his job before the clock even struck nine. But lo and behold, once he got out of Castle Town and the crowds were thinning, the princess was gone. Or so he thought. One of the guards on duty told him that she had seen princess Zelda ride west at full speed. Damn it. He too set off in a gallop in an effort to catch up to her. Once he rounded the quarry, he saw her crossing Carok Brigde. She was indeed going very fast. Link managed to not lose her again when they rode through the Breach of Demise and headed southwest toward the scablands, though he couldn’t close the distance between them. Once he reached the open fields of the scablands he saw his chance. The princess had followed the road, so if Link instead went straight across the wet and uneven grounds, he could catch up a bit to her. It wasn’t a fun experience for Link, nor the horse, jumping across great ditches and splashing through surprisingly deep puddles of water. Link was going to be sore for days on end thanks to this, but once they reached the other end and got back on the road, they had actually gained a little on princess Zelda. She was halfway over the Tabantha Great Bridge and she was showing no signs of stopping or slowing down. Link felt something sinking in his chest when he realised that once she had passed the bridge, the mountain terrain would make it nearly impossible to catch up to her. There were no shortcuts to be taken there. The princess disappeared once again behind a ridge, and this time, Link slowed down. As much as he hated to, he would have to give up soon. His horse could only endure so much. He patted Kato’s sweaty neck. He had done very well. But where had princess Zelda gone? He couldn’t hear the sound of hooves on the road. Had she also had to stop? Link urged Kato to keep going to see if that were the case, when he heard something that sounded like a frustrated scream from somewhere above him. Of course. The columns. The princess had mentioned that the Sheikah scientists had found a mysterious structure up in the highlands in Tabantha, she said it had been surrounded by ancient columns. She must have gone to see it for herself.

 

Link struggled for quite a while to find a decent way for his already tired horse to make the trek up the cliff where he had heard who he suspected was the princess. Once he found his way up, his suspicions were confirmed. There stood princess Zelda, examining part of a big cone-like stone structure. She turned around when she heard Link’s horse arrive, and her shoulders tensed. Link’s feet had barely touched the ground before she was yelling at him in a way she never had before.

”I thought I made it clear that I am not in need of an escort. It seems I’m the only one with a mind of my own. I, the person in question, am fine, regardless of the king’s orders.” Her voice was shaking when she spoke again. ”Return to the castle. And tell that to my father, please.” She walked past him, and Link followed suit. The princess gave a sigh and turned around to look him straight in the eye.

”And stop following me!”

”Princess-” Link said, but before he got any further, princess Zelda was yelling at him again.

”It’s like you enjoy it! Gloating. You never say it, but I know it. Maybe you tell my father and he enjoys it too! Hilarious!”

”Princess, what are you-?” Link was getting annoyed. He didn’t enjoy being accused of things, especially not when he had no idea what said accusations were about.

”Oh, like you don’t know,” she hissed.

”No I don’t,” he said, hoisting himself back up on his horse. ”I’m taking you back to the castle.”

The princess looked like she wanted to interject, she even opened her mouth as if to say something, but apparently thought better of it and got on her horse in silence. For the entire ride back to the castle, princess Zelda breathed heavily and her shoulders were drawn up almost to her ears, but at least she didn’t lash out at Link or make an attempt to outrun him again. When they reached the stables, she spoke again. It was so quiet that Link struggled to hear what she was saying.

”You’re dismissed for today. Go home,” she said. The order felt like a relief. He wouldn’t have to spend the rest of his day walking on eggshells to not be yelled at and childishly accused for things he didn’t do.

 

However, when he was walking around the lively marketplace, he found himself feeling angrier and angrier at the princess, the more he thought about it. It’s not like he had asked for any of this! She didn’t have to make his life miserable, just because hers was. He was startled out of his train of thought by one of the captains of the Royal Guard tapping his shoulder. The captain — who’s name evaded Link for the moment — handed him a letter. Link never got many letters; everyone who would be interested in corresponding with him lived close enough by him that letters were unnecessary. He thanked the captain and opened the letter. It read:

_Appointed Knight Link,_

_You are relieved of your duties tomorrow — my daughter has business in the castle to tend to._

_\- King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule_

A day off. His shoulders relaxed as he let out a breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding. He knew exactly where he was going.

 

”It’s nice to see you again. You are kind to visit,” Mipha said, a sweet smile adorning her face. They were sat on the edge of the pier on the Reservoir Lake near Zora’s Domain. Link’s boots were discarded a few feet away and his feet were submerged in the cool water.

”You’re kind to make time for me,” he responded.

”I’m sure you would try to do the same.” She looked at him, studying his face. ”Is something the matter?”

Link sighed. He hesitated for a moment.

”Is it princess Zelda?” she asked before Link had even said anything.

”How did you know?”

Mipha chuckled. ”Lucky guess.”

The moon was rising over the surrounding cliffs, it’s reflection gleaming on the surface of the water. Zora’s Domain was calming. Mipha was calming. They weren’t new, they didn’t change much. Having that constant amidst all the change was calming.

”She doesn’t have it easy, you know,” Mipha said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. ”There’s a lot of pressure on her.”

Link looked at Mipha and raised his eyebrows. He didn’t know Mipha and princess Zelda were close.

”I know because I feel the same. The fate of the world is on us. Let’s not make it harder for each other, don’t you agree?” she continued. He felt a little like he was being lectured. He wasn’t a child. He knew all this. And besides, it was the princess who made it harder for _him_ , not the other way around. Deep down, though, he knew that Mipha was right. She usually was. She took the time to think things over, while Link tended to act more on impulse. His impulse had been to get selfishly angry, while Mipha had thought of the situation that they were all in.

”Yes. I agree.”

Mipha smiled at him, and then she left to get some rest.

 

The next morning Link awoke to the smell of fish. The Domain always smelled a little like fish, but it was jarring nonetheless after having slept in the castle for the last few days. Or perhaps he didn’t wake up because of the unfamiliar scent. Mipha was shaking him gingerly awake, saying his name.

”Link..! Link, we just got news; princess Zelda is missing from the castle!”


	6. Concern

What? No, seriously — _what_? Link sat up straight and looked confusedly at Mipha.

”Are you serious?” he asked, his voice still sleepy-sounding.

”Yes!” she answered urgently. In what seemed like a second, Link was on his feet getting dressed.

”Know what happened?” he asked. Mipha shook her head.

”No, but perhaps my father has gotten word,” she said. Link, who was still struggling with buckling his last belt gave her a nod and started walking briskly to get to king Dorephan’s residence. He heard Mipha follow not far behind him. A sort of quiet murmur had spread over Zora’s Domain. Link could see and hear how various inhabitants exchanged what they knew about the morning’s news. Word really traveled fast. At the foot of the staircase that lead to the Zora king’s throne, Link and Mipha bumped into the still very small prince Sidon who seemed quite unaware of the happenings outside of the Domain.

”Mipha!” he exclaimed gleefully, hopping up and down at the sight of his big sister.

”Sidon, be careful! You could slip and hurt yourself you know,” Mipha said, and the genuine care in her voice even made Link feel warm inside. He could only imagine the adoration Sidon felt for her.

”Can you take me up?” the Zora prince asked with the same excitement as earlier.

”Up where? A waterfall?” Mipha asked. Sidon nodded.

”Please?”

”Only once. I’m busy today,” she said before she turned to Link. She looked at him apologetically as she spoke; ”I have to do this. You go speak to my father. I can help you get down-river when you’re done.”

Link nodded and continued up the last staircase. For a place that was always at least a little wet, there were a dangerous amount of staircases. Once he reached the top of the staircase, he knelt on the wet floor in front of the huge Zora that was king Dorephan.

”Please, Link, feel free to stand up,” he said, and Link happily obliged; he didn’t appreciate the water seeping into his boots. ”I assume you’ve come to ask about the princess Zelda.”

”I have,” Link responded.

”I don’t know much. We received news that she was nowhere to be found this morning, and I have been told to send guards to look for her around the Domain and its surroundings.”

”Nothing else?”

”I’m afraid so. Now, I suppose that your visit will be cut short and that you’re going back to the castle. Would that be correct?”

”It would.”

”Very well. Would you like for me to get someone to take you down the river?” the Zora king asked.

”Thank you, but Mipha already offered,” Link said, wishing the conversation would be over soon so that he could get a move on.

”I see. Yes, it makes sense that she would want to help you… Yes. Well, I wish you luck.”

And with that, he was free to go. On his way down the stairs he could see how there were Zora guards crossing the two bridges connecting the little town with the cliffs surrounding it. They were presumably on their way to scout for princess Zelda. Link spotted Mipha and Sidon sitting on the edge of the fountain that was decorating the central ”square” of Zora’s Domain. Mipha must have seen Link as well, because she gave Sidon a pat on the head before standing up and walking towards Link.

”Are you ready to go?” she asked.

 

Getting down-river the Zora way was not overly pleasant. Sure, Link enjoyed swimming, but his definition of swimming he enjoyed did not entail being escorted down an already swift river, fully dressed, at speeds that felt like a hazard by themselves. He had to give credit where it was due, though; he did get back to his horse in less than half the time it would have taken to follow the ordinary trail down the river. Other than that, he did not see many positives. When he and Mipha parted ways, his hair and clothes were dripping wet, he was very cold, and he was pretty sure he had gotten some kind of seaweed into one of the legs of his trousers. At least the ride back to the castle would be quick, and then he could change out of his wet boots.

 

When he rode through Castle Town he noticed a similar murmur of gossip there as he had noticed in Zora’s domain. All he could seem to hear people talk about as he passed, was the princess’ mysterious disappearance. Link was stopped at the castle main gate, where the guards informed him that the king would like to see him. Getting up to the throne room felt as if it took forever. There was a gnawing sense of worry in Link’s gut — he was quite sure he wasn’t exactly going to be promoted for letting this happen. After an eternity though, he finally did reach the throne room, where the king called him up to where he sat. Link knelt in front of the king, partially because it was what he was expected to do, but partially out of an unwillingness to meet the king’s eyes.

”Link, I was under the impression that you would not let the princess out of your sight,” the king said.

”Yes, your highness.”

”So how come she was not in her room, nor her study, nor anywhere in the castle this morning? Since you are here now and she isn’t, it’s clear that you were not with her.” King Rhoam’s voice wasn’t actually loud, but Link felt as if the words echoed around him. His failure reverberated through his head. If he could not see to princess Zelda’s safety, then how could he possibly see to the whole world’s safety? A dread, similar to that of the dread he felt on his first knight as Hylian Champion started to fill him. The king spoke again, which brought him out from his thoughts and back to the moment. ”Can you explain yourself?”

Could he explain himself? On first instinct he would say no, but then out of nowhere, it hit him — he still had the letter. He hurriedly rifled through the leather pouches on his belt, praying to the goddess Hylia herself that the letter hadn’t been lost or destroyed in the river. Finally, he found it, but when he tried to pull it out, the fragile and soggy paper ripped. It took a horrifying second for him to realise that it was indeed not the letter he had just accidentally destroyed, but a map. He silently thanked the goddess that he hadn’t yet destroyed his chances to escape with minimal punishment, and he thanked the goddess yet again when he actually found the letter. It wasn’t dry, but it seemed that the leather of the pouch as well as the envelope had protected the letter itself enough that the ink was still legible. Without a word, Link handed the king the letter. The king read the short message and his eyebrows drew together.

”I don’t recall writing this,” he said without looking up from the paper. ”It isn’t my handwriting… But who…?”

”Your highness.”

The king did not get to finish his musings. Both he and Link looked towards whoever had just spoken. In one of the entrances stood a woman. She had long red hair which was pulled up in a neat bun, her skin was a dark brown and she was at least a head taller than the guard standing nearest her. Her clothing was light and adorned with gold, and an ornate golden shield was hung from her belt. In her hand, she held a heavy-looking but very beautiful spear. A Gerudo.

 

The Gerudo woman looked straight at the king, who looked intrigued.

”Pardon me for intruding, but the princess is safe. She is in Gerudo Town with Urbosa,” she said matter-of-factly. Link could hear the king let out a breath, and he looked quite a bit more relieved upon hearing these news.

”Good, she is in good hands. But I must ask; how is it she ended up there? Is it the Yiga?”

”No, your highness. She arrived on her own this morning. She told Urbosa that her visit was sanctioned by you. Is that not the case?” the Gerudo woman asked.

”I had not been informed of this. Very well. I suppose I should just be pleased she isn’t in any danger.” The king turned to Link. ”I’m sending you to the desert to fetch her. I do not want you two traveling back here at night, but I am expecting you to bring her home first thing tomorrow morning. Understood?”

”Yes, your highness.”

”Good. You may go.”

Link stood up and walked out of the sanctum with brisk steps. The Gerudo woman followed him quietly.

”Go on ahead,” Link said over his shoulder to her. ”You don’t have to wait for me.”

”I would have expected as much from the Hylian Champion himself,” she said, sounding amused. ”Perhaps we’ll meet on the road.”

Perhaps they would. Link didn’t know if the Gerudo woman had a horse, but if she didn’t, then Link was pretty sure he would catch up to her without much effort. But for now, he had other things to tend to. He couldn’t spend another minute with river water sloshing around in his boots.


	7. Resolve

It took quite a while before Link set out towards the desert, wearing a new, dry pair of boots and with a new, dry map in his pouch. On top of that, a friend from the kitchen had given him a couple bottles of hydromelon juice for the trip. It was maybe three in the afternoon and the sun was starting to sink toward the horizon. He veered from the road to take a shortcut across the field, taking care to not startle the grazing sheep. The ranch-hand who was sat in the shade under a tree to keep watch of the livestock quietly watched as he rode by. Link reconvened with the road by the garrison where he was politely greeted by the soldiers milling about in the late summer sun. Otherwise, the roads were empty. Link did not see another soul until he was coming up on the Diggdogg suspension bridge into the Gerudo Highlands. There, he saw the Gerudo woman from the castle. The sound of hooves on wood made her turn around.

”We meet again,” she said with a light smile when he reached her. ”You were faster than I expected.” Link nodded politely, but didn’t say anything. The woman didn’t seem to mind; she kept walking next to Link and his horse. They moved for a few minutes in silence before the woman looked up at the Hylian Champion.

”You’re in a hurry. You don’t need to escort me. Just follow the road and you’ll get there,” she said.

”Y’sure?” he asked her.

”Certain. Go get your princess.”

Link nodded and spurred Kato on. The horse burst into a gallop, and Link felt so grateful that his horse was such a fighter. Despite being tired, it kept going. The canyon leading to the desert was covered in shade, but even so, Link was sure that the temperature was rising. In fact, with each passing minute, the air felt warmer. Still, at least it wasn’t as bad as the Death Mountain trail. The sun was setting when he finally rounded the final curve and saw lights and people. Once he got closer, one of the people started moving towards him at a jog. Link slowed the horse to a trot, wondering who this was and what was going on.

”Hey, traveler,” the person said. He was a young man with dirt blond hair, a freckled face and a dark tan. ”Welcome to the desert checkpoint. Allow me to take care of your horse.”

”Oh, uh…” Link replied, feeling a little confused. The young man smiled expectantly at him. Link dismounted the horse, and handed the man the reins. They started walking towards the checkpoint, which looked less like a checkpoint as Link knew them, and more like… a stable of sorts. There were horses tethered to a fence, there was fodder strewn about and there were trays of water, as well as a surprising amount of people. Some were carrying food, some were carrying brooms and some were carrying swords. The man who was leading Link’s horse fished an apple out of his pocket and held it out for Kato to eat.

”You look like you’ve traveled far today,” he said. Link nodded, and stretched. ”You need a bed tonight, I assume?” the man continued.

”No, I have to keep going,” Link replied.

”In a hurry, eh?” The man chuckled to himself as if he had told a joke.

”You could say that.”

”Well, I’ll make sure your horse is taken care of — he looks like he's been working hard — and you just head on through there,” the stablehand said, pointing ahead of them, where the canyon opened up into a seemingly unending field of sand. It was beautiful with the setting sun making the whole desert glow gold. Link nodded and set off toward where he'd been directed.

 

The first thing Link noticed about the desert wasn’t the heat — it was the wind. It had barely been a minute and he had barely exited the canyon before he had inhaled a cloud of dust. The second thing he noticed was that there was a woman and three creatures he didn't recognise sitting by the stairs connecting the canyon and the desert itself. This woman was a Gerudo as well, but her hair was short and she wasn't very heavily armed.

”Hey! You there!” she called. Link walked over to her, brows furrowed and he was ready to pull his sword if need be.

”You look tense,” she said as he approached. She smiled at him. ”Relax. Judging by the looks of you, I take it you’re princess Zelda’s appointed knight. And the Hylian Champion.”

Link nodded slowly. He still wasn’t sure if he could trust this woman.

”I’m under instructions to lend you a sand seal. For getting across the desert faster,” she said, still smiling at him. ”Got a shield?”

Link shook his head.

”Don’t worry about it. Use mine,” she said and stood up, taking her ornate golden shield off her belt and handed it to him. He gingerly took it in both hands and was surprised by how heavy it was. Every shield he had ever used was lighter than this one. He was a bit perplexed as to what he was supposed to do with it though.

”Ever traveled using a sand seal before?”

Link shook his head again.

”It’s easy; you just stand on your shield,” she gestured vaguely toward the shield she had just given Link. ”And you hold on tight while the sand seal pulls you.”

”Got it,” Link said, nodding. The short-haired Gerudo led him to one of the sand seals where she told him to stand on the shield before handing him a rope to hold on to.

”Wrap it around your wrist a couple of times so you don’t lose your grip. Pull the rope in any direction you wanna turn, pull it back if you need to slow down,” she explained. ”Ready to go?”

Link nodded again, and the Gerudo slapped the flank of the sand seal, much like one would a horse, and off they went. Link had to struggle to not immediately lose his balance. After a few minutes, though, he felt like he was getting the hang of it. In fact, it was actually quite fun, and a hell of a lot faster than traversing the dunes by foot. He passed an oasis surrounded by a few white stone buildings, lit up by the orange glow of a campfire. The dark was really starting to envelop everything now. A few more minutes, and he was sure that the sand would be gleaming in the light of the moon. As more and more stars gradually appeared in the sky, he got closer and closer to a walled-in and lit-up area that the seal seemed dead set on getting to. Judging by that, it must be Gerudo Town.

 

”You’re a voe. We can’t let you in,” one of the guards told him.

”I’m here to fetch princess Zelda,” he responded. His eyes met the guard’s for a second and he looked away quickly. Her gaze was very intimidating.

”And why should we believe you?” the other guard asked suspiciously. And with good reason; Link had heard many accounts of Yiga Clan members disguising themselves to get in to Gerudo Town. So, to prove himself, he unsheathed the sword on his back and showed it to them.

”I’m her appointed knight,” he said. The guards looked at the sword, up at Link, at each other, and then they nodded resolutely.

”She’s in Naboris with Urbosa,” one of the guards said, nodding her head towards what Link had previously thought was just a big rock formation, but what he now saw was a Divine Beast. ”You're expected.”

”Thanks,” Link said and urged the sand seal to move. It gave a displeased grunt and didn’t move. Instead, it rolled over in the sand and smacked its belly with one of its fins, as if to tell him that was the end of the line; no more. Link groaned and stepped off of the golden shield. He picked it up and handed it to one of the guards for safekeeping, and then he started making his way towards the great machine out in the dunes. Thankfully, it wasn’t very far off, but jogging on sand was a nightmare. It was slow and draining, but he was so close now. He couldn’t give up. Once he got close to the Divine Beast, he felt the peculiar but not entirely unfamiliar sensation of being brought on board and saw a bright blue glow envelop him. Before he knew it, the light faded and he was inside a room that reminded him of a big barrel in its shape. He took a second to get his bearings, and once he did, he set off to look for the princess and the Gerudo chief. He found them pretty quickly, they were sat on a cozy-looking nest of pillows and blankets; the princess’ head was resting on Urbosa’s shoulder.

”Ah, well you certainly got here fast,” she said, looking over her shoulder at him. Her voice was low and calm. ”I should have expected as much, from the princess’s own appointed knight. She was out on a survey all day today. Still as the sands now…” She looked at the princess, who Link could now see, was sleeping.

”So? Spill it, boy. Have you two been getting along all right?” Urbosa asked, sounding suddenly more stern. Link didn’t answer. He had a great respect for Urbosa, and he knew that she was quite fond of princess Zelda. He didn’t want to get on the Gerudo chief’s bad side.

”It’s okay… I know. Your silence speaks volumes. She gets frustrated every time she looks up and sees you carrying that sword on her back. It makes her feel like a failure when it comes to her own destiny.” She looked back up at Link as she continued. ”Don’t worry, it’s not like you carry blame in any of this. It’s unfortunate. She’s put in more than enough time. Ever since she was a young girl, she’s gone through rigorous daily routines to show her dedication… She once passed out in the freezing waters trying to access this sealing power. And she has nothing to show for it… That’s the motivation driving her research. I’d be doing the same thing. She really is quite… special.”

She gently brushed a flyaway hair from the princess’s face with a soft smile on her lips. Link felt overcome with emotion as he tried to process what he had just been told. He knew that princess Zelda could not use the sealing power, but he had no idea what she had been through in her efforts to try. All that remained of his anger at her for yelling at him disappeared like water running down a drain. The anger was replaced with a sense of understanding. Failure loomed over the both of them like an oppressive force, keeping them down. He understood the dread that that force brought on. 

”You be sure to protect her with your life.” Urbosa was the second person to give him this order. Only this time, Link felt compelled to follow through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright! chapter 7 is finished! i'm sorry it's taken me a while, but these chapters take quite long to write and because of that i only ever really have time for them on weekends. i'm thinking that i'll do my best to update once a week-ish.  
> with that said, i hope you liked this chapter!


	8. Adrenaline

Link awoke to the harsh desert sun shining into his face. For a second he wondered where he was and why he felt so stiff. It was when he saw Urbosa stood looking out over the dunes that he realised that he was in the Divine Beast Vah Naboris. Princess Zelda was still asleep on a plush-looking blanket next to him. Her long, blond hair had fallen over her face, and Link thought this was the most peaceful he had ever seen her in the months he had known her. Some part of him wanted to stroke the hair out of her face and just let her sleep. He liked seeing her at peace — it was much more favourable over her usually tense and irritable state. Common sense won over his tiny urge of watching her still form, and he slowly got up, stretched and made his way over to the tall Gerudo Chief.

”Good morning,” she told him without averting her gaze from the sunbathed sands ahead of her. Link hummed in response, hoping Urbosa took that to mean he was too tired to speak. The last thing he wanted to do was disrespect her; not only was he fully aware that she could take him down with little to no effort, but he also wanted things to remain friendly between them. Urbosa’s kindness was different from Mipha’s or Daruk’s kindness, and he really wanted that to remain. While Daruk could easily become too much for Link, and Mipha was sometimes too considerate, too afraid to upset him, Urbosa seemed to want the best for him and the princess but she never shied away from saying what she thought and using a bit of tough love. Link imagined she must be a fantastic leader for her people. He had a great respect for her.

”You and Zelda should be off before it gets too hot for you,” she said and glanced over at the sleeping princess. ”I’ll go wake her. I imagine she’ll appreciate it more than if you do it. No offence,” she said with a little laugh. Link raised his hand to wave off the statement, as if to say ”none taken” — which was true. He was quite aware that the princess still wasn’t very pleased with his presence, and he would prefer to not upset her first thing in the morning. He watched as Urbosa walked over to the princess and shook her gently. He could hear the Gerudo speaking gently, but he couldn’t catch what was being said. Princess Zelda stirred awake, and the image of the still half-asleep girl sitting up slowly was so endearing that Link felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward, just in the slightest. The princess’s green eyes met his and he immediately turned back to face the outdoors.

”When did he get here?” He could hear the princess ask, her voice sounded raspy and unused, but it still had that clear sound Link knew so well.

”Last night before we brought you in. I thought you would remember that,” Urbosa replied.

”No, I don’t…” Princess Zelda sounded contemplative when she spoke. Link could not hear the rest of the exchange, because Vah Naboris had made an almost deafening sound, and the floor under Link’s feet was suddenly moving — and so was the horizon ahead of him. It took most of his coordination and balance to not fall over, or worse, fall out of the Beast. Once he found his footing again, he could hear the princess and the Gerudo chief chuckling softly to each other.

”Urbosa!” the Hylian princess laughed. ”You should have warned him!”

”Apologies,” Urbosa’s voice rang out, meant for Link’s ears just as much as for princess Zelda’s.

 

It turned out that Urbosa had commanded the great machine to get up and start moving without giving the Hylians much of a heads-up. This, in combination with the lightning bolt-scare of last night, Link had come to the definite conclusion that Urbosa was very fond of playing tricks and pranks on people. It was not exactly something made apparent by her manners or appearance at first glance, but Link supposed it could be good to have a figure of authority with a sense of humour. The two Champions and the princess were now sat on the balcony-like structure on one of Naboris’s four legs, eating breakfast as they moved towards Kara Kara Bazaar.

”I would take you all the way back to the desert checkpoint, but I don’t dare to stray too far from Gerudo Town, what with the recent goings on,” she had told them.

”Don’t worry about it, Urbosa. I understand. It’s kind enough of you to take us halfway,” the princess responded with a sweet smile. Link had never seen her smile like that for very long. He silently contemplated this as he chewed the sweet hydromelon slice he had been given. Yet another wave of empathy and sympathy washed over him as he thought about the circumstances of her behaviour. He thought back to the argument he had overheard between the king and the princess and he realised that even her father must be a cause for distress in her life.

 

The two Hylians were let off not too far from Kara Kara Bazaar, where they stopped for a little while to stock up on water and washed their faces, because despite the still relatively early hour, the desert was hot. The princess stood up and brushed the dust off of her trousers as Link was still filling the last of his small bottles with the fresh water. He put the cork on the final bottle, and as he reached around to stash it in the leather pouch on the back of his belt, he was suddenly on the ground in a cloud of dust. The glass bottle was no longer in his hand, it was rolling across the sandstone before coming to a stop on the sandy path a few feet away. He heard several hurried footsteps and there was a dull ache between his shoulder blades. He looked up and saw the Hylian princess running for dear life, pursued by two lean, red-clad figures. Urbosa’s words to him last night echoed in his mind. _You be sure to protect her with your life_. This was it. Do or die. The ache in his back seemed suddenly nonexistent as he got to his feet and started running with urgency he doubted he had ever really felt before. Ahead of him he could see a third figure joining in on the chase. He wanted to shout at the princess, warn her, but not a sound escaped his throat. Instead, he kept running. In the blink of an eye the red-clad people — the realisation suddenly dawned on Link that they’re Yiga — were gone. The confusion almost made him stop in his tracks. What was happening? Were they seeing things? Apparently not. Two of the Yiga had somehow managed to intercept the princess in her flight. She stopped, but the adrenaline flowing through Link made him do the opposite. If anything, he was approaching her at an even faster speed than before; but maybe that was thanks to the well-walked path underneath his soles rather than the largely untouched sand. It didn’t matter. What did matter was how the third Yiga had blocked princess Zelda’s path from the other direction. She couldn’t get back, she was trapped. Link saw her stumble and fall. Time felt like it slowed to a stop as one of the Yiga raised his sickle. It gleamed dangerously in the sun. Now or never. Acting more on instinct than thought, Link pulled his sword, leapt, and swung. He felt the satisfying resistance of landing a hit. The sickle was flying through the air, and it landed next to the collapsed Yiga foot-soldier with a light _thud_. The two remaining foot-soldiers appeared scared; their previously steady stance was replaced with nervous shuffling. They were backing away. Link stood, unyielding, acting as a physical barrier between the princess and the assassins, breathing heavily. He could hear princess Zelda panting on the ground behind him, catching her breath. If these two Yiga got away, he was certain that the trip back to Hyrule Castle would be anything but easy. With that in mind, he leapt forward once more. He caught one of the sickles with the blade of his sword, and he wrenched it out of its owner’s hand, and it flew out of reach. With one swift move, the Yiga member fell to the ground, unmoving. Without taking a moment to stop and get his bearings, Link spun around to face the final menace. Since Link could not get the drop on him, this Yiga put up more of a fight than the other two. Even so, fighting with a sickle against a man with a sword is not ideal — especially not when that man with a sword happens to be one of the most skilled swordsmen in Hyrule. With the threat subdued and the princess safe, he turned around to face her. She was still sitting on the ground, silent. Her breath had slowed down and sounded somewhat normal, but her eyes looked a bit glassy, like she wasn’t fully there. She was staring at Link, her lips parted. The Hylian Champion sheathed his sword and reached a hand out to help her get back on her feet. Her hand was shaking a little as she took it.

* * *

 

They got back to the castle that same evening, dusty and exhausted. The princess excused herself once they were home, and Link did not mind. Once the adrenaline had faded, he was actually quite tired, and his back was sore. Still, though, he felt good. He had done the right thing today. He reflected on this as he was tending to a split lip he hadn’t noticed getting. It didn’t feel as terrifying as he had thought to put his own life on the line for someone else. Although, he hadn’t gotten very hurt; much less getting close to losing his life, so maybe… Maybe the most terrifying thing had yet to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now we're getting somewhere! i've been stoked to write this chapter from the beginning so i'm so stoked to finally get to upload it and see what people think of it and what comes after (although i'm sorry it's kind of short). i hope you liked it as much as i liked writing it!


	9. Forgiveness

The next morning, Link’s muscles gave him a rude awakening. Or, well… Ryds was the one to wake him up, but his sore body did not make things more pleasant. When he stretched his arms, not only were his arms still battling with all the exercise he had gotten in the past few days, but the dull pain in his back sharpened. He winced lightly as he sat up and the sound made Ryds look at him over his shoulder.

”You okay there?” he asked. Link sat on the edge of his bed, rolling his shoulders carefully to feel how bad the pain was and how to manage it during the day. Mostly, it wasn’t terrible; it would be perfectly manageable provided that his day would be more calm than they had been in the past week.

”Yeah,” he responded, giving his shoulders a final roll. ”Got a good kick in the back yesterday but I’m fine.” Ryds gritted his teeth and gave Link a sympathetic look.

”Ooh, that’s rough.” Another nod. A silence filled the room; Link could never find himself holding a conversation longer than a minute with his roommate. Thankfully though, Ryds didn’t ever seem to mind, and this rang true this morning as well. He just returned to putting on his uniform without complaint. Link did the same. He quietly slipped his still kind of dusty blue tunic over his head. Once the tunic sat right, he combed his fingers through his shoulder-length hair and put it up in its usual easy-to-manage ponytail. As he reached for the two lengths of ribbon he kept wrapped around his forearms he heard the sound of Ryds’s boots walking across the stone floor, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing. Link let out a sigh as he tied off the final ribbon. He would give absolutely anything to not have to wear these clothes every day, and these feelings were especially strong this morning. In his heart of hearts, he truly did miss life before all of this; before he had stumbled upon the Master Sword and somehow been deemed worthy to wield it. He missed just being a _kid_. But no amount of wishing could change the current state of things, and all he could really do at this point was to carry out his destiny without complaint so that others would not suffer the same unfortunate fate as himself. He thought about his little sister. At least it wasn’t she who had to go through life with the weight of the world resting on her shoulders, and that offered him some peace. Still though, the whole process of being thrown into a destiny he would prefer not to take part in was exhausting and he often found himself wishing to just be… normal. And each time he caught himself in such a train of thought, he felt guilty. Guilty for not really wishing to be part of all this. Guilty, in a way, for wishing it on somebody else. That guilt had been building up for years, and it kept him from feeling like himself. Dread constantly buzzing in his head, reminding him of the things at stake and everything he risked losing wasn’t what feeling like himself was. Or at least it shouldn’t be.

 

His musings were cut short by a soft knock on the door. He got off of the bed to open the door, and to his surprise the one standing in the doorway was none other than princess Zelda herself. She looked a little out of her element, which Link assumed was only natural if she did not usually spend time in the soldiers’s quarters. She met his eyes and let out a little sigh; Link could see her shoulders rise and fall before she spoke.

”Can I come in?” she asked. Link stepped aside and let her in. He didn’t have time to ask what she was doing in his room before the princess spoke again.

”I… owe you an apology.” Her gaze darted away from Link’s for a second before returning. He could tell that it must be difficult for princess Zelda to swallow her pride like this, but the words that left her mouth were genuine; ”I’m sorry for the way I have treated you lately. It was childish and rude, and I apologise.” She looked relieved to have said it, because there was the hint of a smile on her face.

”Can you forgive me?” she asked. Link didn’t need to hesitate. The princess had seemingly come to his room on her own accord and had given him a genuine apology. In Link’s mind, that was all he needed.

”Yes,” he said softly. Upon hearing that one word, the princess’s smile widened. She offered him her right hand to shake.

”Truce?” she asked. Link took her hand with a nod. The princess nodded in return. ”Good! I was thinking… How would you like to have breakfast with me this morning? To make up for my actions.”

”I don’t see why not.” Link gave the princess a quick smile as he spoke.

 

Contrary to Link’s belief, the two did not eat their breakfast in a conventional place. Instead, they ended up on a patch of lawn not far from Link’s usual thinking spot by the docks at the north side of the castle. The princess had brought along a basket filled with breakfast foods fit for royalty, and they had created somewhat of a picnic. Link sat in silence, chewing on a sweet, cake-like bun he had never tasted before.

”Link?” princess Zelda suddenly asked.

”Hm?”

”Do you think we could ever be friends?” The question took Link by surprise. He would have thought that this amicable picnic was at least a start of a friendship between them. At the very least it was miles better than whatever their dynamic had been up until this morning. He looked over at her. She was squinting at him in the morning sun with an expression Link had never seen on her face, nor was it one he could fully decipher.

”Do you want to be my friend, your highness?” he asked.

”I would much rather have you as my friend than…” she trailed off briefly, seemingly looking for an appropriate end to her sentence. ”Just my shadow.” Link could not agree more. His days would be much better if he and the princess actually got along. He nodded slowly in agreement.

”Then, princess, I think we could be friends.”

She looked happy to hear those words. She looked across the moat, surveying the quiet plains. There was a silence between them that was, for one of the first times ever, not filled with tension. After a minute or so, the princess returned her gaze to her side of the moat. More precisely, she was looking into the basket for something.

”Just one thing,” she said slowly with a quick look up at Link, before returning most of her attention to the basket. ”If we are to be friends, then please, feel no need to call me princess.” She reached into the basket and grabbed the final bun from the bottom. She grabbed it firmly in both hands and tore it almost exactly in half. She offered one of the halves to Link with a sweet smile.

”Friends should regard each other as equals and a title simply becomes arbitrary,” she said as Link took the pastry from her hand. This, he thought, was the most strange yet pleasant start to a friendship.

 

* * *

 

The following couple of weeks were uneventful, but felt strange nonetheless. They mostly consisted of Link and the princess awkwardly making attempts at friendly interaction. It was surprisingly difficult to have said interactions feel natural despite their best efforts. At least it was better than the underlying anger that had plagued their relationship earlier.

”This place is so beautiful,” Zelda said, absentmindedly looking out over Lake Floria. Link followed her gaze up the huge waterfalls, looking silently at the rushing water. She was right, he thought. He had never really had any reason to venture so far south as to Faron before he was assigned as the princess’s appointed knight, but now that he had visited the dense evergreen forest he felt reluctant to leave. Back home, the leaves had yellowed and started to fall from the trees as the chilly breath of autumn crept through the walls of Castle Town. The albeit damp warmth of Faron was much more appealing to him. Thankfully, he would get to stay in the warm climate for at least a little while longer. He and the princess were on their way to Lurelin Village on the coast for a visit. Link wasn’t sure exactly why they were visiting such a small settlement, but he certainly didn’t object.

”It’s said there’s a great dragon residing in the falls. Nobody has seen it for years, but I have heard that the dragon is the reason that there are so many thunderstorms in these woods,” Zelda said.

”Do you believe it?” Link asked and turned away from the waterfalls and looked at Zelda.

”I’m not sure… I would love to have some tangible evidence of its existence,” she said, and when she turned to face him, there was something akin to childlike wonder in her eyes. ”But wouldn’t it be exciting if it did exist?”

The thought of a big dragon that caused thunderstorms wasn’t _unexciting_ , but it was a more fear-invoking type of excitement in Link’s mind.

”It’s also said that there are two other dragons, but sightings of them have been even rarer through the years.” She shrugged. ”If they do exist, they’re supposedly connected to the Goddess Springs somehow. My grandmother claimed that she saw them, but I would love to find out once and for all if they exist.”

”Me too,” Link said, not because he felt the need to know about a legendary dragon, but because he was quite aware of what it would mean to Zelda. And on top of that, if he were being completely honest, it would be quite exhilarating to see a great dragon.

”We still have a bit to go — we should pick up the pace a bit,” the princess said briskly. She was right. They were traveling through the jungle-like forest on foot, and the shadows of the trees were getting longer; if they wanted to reach their destination before total nightfall they couldn’t keep going at the pace of a casual stroll.

 

Stars had started appearing in the sky when they finally reached Lurelin Village, and Link was dying to take a bath. The temperature might be on its way down in the north, but down here it was still hot and damp enough to make his clothes stick to his back. Not only was he sweaty, his stomach had been growling for probably the last hour. As the princess and her guard walked by the little houses, they could see parents cooking and children playing around. The smell of the cooking only made Link feel more hungry. His stomach made a loud noise, and the sound made Zelda chuckle.

”Sorry!” she exclaimed, still giggling. ”It’s just— that noise was so funny.”

Link shot her a look, but his lips were curled upwards. In the time since they started to build a friendship, Link had learned that Zelda’s sense of humour was… special. He had also learned that when she did laugh at him, she did not do so with malicious intent and she nearly always apologised. In fact, Link actually quite enjoyed the levity her laughter brought. It made him feel more normal.

”Here,” Zelda said, tugging on Link’s sleeve. ”This is the inn.” Link followed the princess into one of the bigger houses in the settlement.

”Welcom— ah! Princess Zelda!” the innkeeper said with a broad smile when he saw who had just entered. ”You’re in need of a room, I assume?”

”Yes,” she replied. ”And a bite to eat, thank you.”

”Of course! You two go get a little rest, and I will get you a bite to eat,” the innkeeper said with a gesture to the soft-looking beds in the back of the house. Princess Zelda nodded and said a quick thank you before walking further into the inn to claim herself a bed. Link joined her in the back, where he sat down on the bed closest to Zelda’s. The mattress was thick and soft, and made Link want to lie down and never leave. Zelda let out a sigh as she leaned back, supporting her weight on her hands.

”I didn’t even realise how tired I am,” she said. ”I think I am going straight to bed after dinner.”

Link nodded in acknowledgement. He would probably be doing the same; his feet were killing him, and seeing the sights of the coast could wait. The smell of seafood wafted in through the mostly nonexistent walls, and within a minute, the innkeeper was next to their beds holding a serving platter with some sort of roasted fish on it, along with what looked like a crab.

”That looks delicious,” Zelda said when she saw the food. The innkeeper handed her the platter with a kind smile.

”I hope it’s satisfactory,” he said.

”Thank you very much,” the princess smiled politely at him.

”It’s always a pleasure hosting the princess.”

Once more, they were left alone. Link eyed the fish in an attempt to figure out exactly what kind of fish it was.

”Have you ever had porgy before?” Zelda asked; she had apparently caught him looking. Link shook his head. Porgy was not something he recognised. Zelda carefully handed him the platter, urging him to taste the food.

”It’s delicious, and here on the coast it is almost always freshly caught.”

She had been right; it was delicious. Although, Link could say for sure that the blackened crab was his favourite when all was said and done. After the delicious and well-appreciated dinner, the two companions decided that it was indeed time to go to bed.

”I can show you around in the morning,” Zelda mumbled from under her blanket. Link grunted something unintelligible in response. He was already drifting off to sleep.

 

Opening his eyes felt like very hard work, but the pair of hands firmly shaking him awake wouldn’t let him keep them closed.

”Good, you’re awake. You simply cannot miss the sunrise,” princess Zelda told him. Was the sun not up? Link peered outside, and sure enough, the sky was still dark. There was, however, a hint of gold along the horizon. He slowly sat up, wiping his eyes. Once he had gotten the sleep out of his eyes he could see that the princess was already dressed, only she was not wearing her usual blue shirt and brown trousers; she was wearing what Link could only call a beach-appropriate white dress. It had no sleeves or shoulder straps and the hem fell about halfway down her shins, and she was wearing the same blue and gold belt that she always wore. Her feet were bare.

”Don’t bother with the boots or the tunic,” she said once Link had his undershirt and his trousers on. ”They won’t take well to the seawater.”

Link obeyed and followed Zelda out into the open air. Link would have thought that the village would be peaceful at this hour, but there were already people milling around on the beach; putting equipment in boats, wading around in the shallower waters and people seeing their partners off for the day.

”The fishermen always get an early start,” Zelda explained as she and Link made their way towards the shoreline. She led him toward one of the docks where the fishermen were currently getting ready for their day of work. Once they reached the end of the dock, most of the fishermen were already rowing out onto the sea. The princess and the Champion sat down and watched in silence as the boats grew smaller, and the waves grew more and more gold as the sun rose. The only thing breaking the silence was the waves rolling onto the sandy beach and the awakening gulls calling to each other. Link looked over at Zelda. Everything about her looked doused in gold, and her long hair was swaying in the gentle breeze. She breathed in the salty air and let out a contented sigh. She looked away from the horizon to meet his eyes.

”I am glad you got to see this,” she said. Her voice was so peaceful. Calm.

”So am I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing this made me wish we had some canon content of link and zelda visiting the coast, just taking it easy. it's what they deserve! thanks for reading and i hope you enjoyed this chapter


	10. Rainstorm

The sun had made very quick work of warming everything up. It wasn’t even noon yet and Link had already taken refuge in the shade under a palm tree. The princess, however, had not. She was as on the move as ever, crossing the beach in a search for crabs. Whenever she managed to catch one, she stopped for a few minutes to study it and take notes. Seeing as Link was not particularly interested in research or science, he had decided to spend his time cleaning his gear. Currently, he was rubbing the grime out of the crevices of the Master Sword’s scabbard with a little piece of cloth. It was monotone work, but according to Link’s father, it was essential. _Respect your weapon; it gives you respectability_. Link let out a sigh. Despite everything, it was quite nice to just sit down and relax. His body still felt heavy from his early awakening in the morning. He took a deep breath of the salty air and let the scabbard rest on top of his thighs. He rested his head against the trunk of the tall tree and his gaze found the princess, who was crouching by the shoreline. Everything was blurred by a pleasant haze. The sea really did have a profound effect on people. The sand under his legs was comfortably warm and softer than any of the beaches at home in the north. Ahh. He wished the sounds of the waves could lull him to sleep for the rest of his days.

 

He stirred awake from his impromptu nap an undetermined amount of time later, but seeing as Zelda was still going about her business in and around the water, it couldn’t have been too long. But on the other hand, his growling stomach told him otherwise. He slowly stood up and stretched his arms over his head. A warm ocean breeze rumpled his hair, and Link felt revitalised. He gently propped up his sword against the tree he had been using as his pillow and then he padded across the warm sand towards the waves. The temperature of the water made for a good change against the hot ground and air. He rolled up the legs of his trousers and waded further out into the water.

”It’s quite lovely here, isn’t it?” the princess asked from where she sat behind him.

”Mm,” he replied.

”I suppose that you’re hungry. I just need to finish my notes and then I’m finished,” she said, looking up at him.

”Sounds good.”

He waited in silence for Zelda to finish. While he did so, he looked toward the horizon. If it hadn’t been for the fluffy white clouds in the distance, he wouldn’t have been able to tell where the sea ended and where the sky began.

”Off you go, little guy,” the princess mumbled behind him. ”Okay… Now I’m finished. Let’s eat lunch.” Those last sentences had been meant for Link, thankfully. The two of them trekked back to the inn, where they were served fish that had been steamed with some really flavourful herbs. Along with that they were also served fried eggs and rice. After this meal and what they had eaten last night, Link was of the opinion that this innkeeper was good enough to be a chef in Hyrule Castle if he so wished. Not that he seemed to wish that. After the delicious meal, the princess suggested they’d take a little walk. Once the Master Sword was resting on Link’s back, they set off along the coast.

”It looks like it might rain…” Zelda said after a while of walking in silence. She was right. The clouds that had previously been white, fluffy and far away had come much closer and darkened in colour.

”Do you want to turn back?” Link asked, looking up at the overcast sky. Once the sun had disappeared Link could really feel that, despite everything, autumn could get quite chilly here as well.

”Mm… I reckon we should,” she said somewhat absentmindedly. ”Let’s go before it starts.”

 

It turns out that they walked back in the nick of time, because when they set foot back into the village, drops started coming down onto their heads. Within minutes it was absolutely pouring. Link and Zelda sat on their beds, watching the rain. It wasn’t long before the fishermen returned with their boats. Link watched without much interest as they hurried to unload their gear and their catch of the day.

”It can’t be easy to control a boat in this weather,” Zelda said, not sounding much more interested than Link felt.

”It can’t be very fun,” Link responded. The princess gave a light sigh and leaned back onto one of the supportive wood beams holding up the roof.

”It’s unfortunate that it started raining so much,” she said. ”There was something I wanted to take a look at.”

”We could go take a look later.”

”I’m afraid we can’t. You see, the point of us coming here, was so that I could visit the Spring of Courage. In fact, my father isn’t aware that I haven’t set foot there yet.” Zelda heaved another sigh, distinctly not looking at Link. ”I do wish I had more time here…”

Link nodded slowly. He could tell that the princess was uncomfortable talking about it, so he didn’t prod further. They sat in silence, a silence that felt more tense than it had in days. They lay on separate beds, listening to the rain pounding on the ground outside. Link heard princess Zelda draw a breath.

”Do you hate me?” she asked. Her words came quickly, like she had been building up to say them for quite some time. The question took Link by surprise. She had never asked him anything of the sorts before.

”What?”

”Never mind…” she mumbled and turned to face away from Link. She drew her knees up toward her chest. Link saw her ribcage expand and shrink as she breathed. Link took a deep breath of his own, letting the rain-scented air fill his lungs.

”I don’t hate you,” he said determinedly. ”Why would I?”

Zelda shifted her weight once more so that she could look at him. She didn’t speak, but she gave him a small smile that didn’t fully reach her green eyes. Soon, the sound of rain pattering outside subsided and they were left with the misty chill that came after a rainstorm. A shiver ran down Link’s spine. He sat up and reached for the clothing he had dismissed in the morning. Once all of his clothes were on him, he stood up.

”I’ll give you some space,” he said. She made a little noise in acknowledgement, but she did not object.

 

Link had barely gotten out of the inn before he was approached by a young woman who didn’t look much older than Link himself.

”You’re a knight, right?” she asked.

”I am,” he replied with a puzzled look at the girl.

”Fantastic. I take it you’re good with that there sword on your back?”

”I’m not terrible.” He awkwardly scratched his temple. Talking about his proficiencies was not a strong suit of his.

”Just what I wanted to hear! Look. We’ve been having problems with monsters around here lately. Do you think you could help me get better at fighting them off?” she asked with a wry smile. Her smile broadened when Link’s puzzled look didn’t disappear. ”I’m asking if you want to spar,” she added.

”Oh. Uh, yeah, sure,” he said as he gave her a nod.

”Great! I’m Mari,” she said, extending her hand for him to shake.

”Link,” he responded, taking her hand firmly. They walked together to the beach, where there was ample space to brawl. Mari reached into one of the docked boats on the shore and picked up the wooden oars.

”Better to not use real weapons,” she said as she tossed him one of them. He caught it without much trouble and he was surprised by how light it was. He set the oar down in the sand to remove the harness-like belt that held his actual sword. Once he was free from the extra weight and it was safely deposited where it would not be stepped on, he was ready to go. He took the wooden oar in his hands and took a wide stance. Mari copied.

”Ready?” she asked. Link gave a curt nod in response. Mari was quick. She made a stabbing movement Link had mostly only seen hunters or fishermen do. Good for hunting — not so much for battle. He moved out of the way with ease. He swung his oar over his head and out toward her side. He was in his element. The clatter of wood hitting wood echoed across the water. Link could say many things about Mari’s offensive strategies, but she had quick reflexes; she seemed good at defence. Time to really put her reflexes to the test. He pulled his stretched-out arm toward him and stretched out his bent arm, jabbing at Mari’s other side with the rear end of the oar. She was still quick on her feet, but not quite enough to fully get out of the way. That didn’t stop her however, she used the momentum of her dodge to make a wide swing at Link’s legs. He jumped over the oar. The width of Mari’s swing had left her completely open for attack. Link seized the moment and made a shoving motion towards Mari’s chest, knocking her to the ground. He stood over her and pointed the wide end of the oar to her throat, signifying his win. He lent Mari a hand to help her back onto her feet. She took it and let herself be pulled upright. She brushed the sand off her back as she shot Link a smile.

”So? How’d I do?” she asked.

”Not bad. You’ve got good reflexes, you just telegraph your movements too much,” he said, picking up the oar she had left on the ground. ”Want to-” he stopped mid-sentence, when he saw the small crowd of people that had gathered to watch him and Mari spar. He wouldn’t have thought a friendly spar would be such a spectacle. Even the princess had come to watch.

 

”Why’d you stop?” a man shouted from where he was sitting on a rock. Link raised his eyebrows and shot Mari a look. She nodded. He handed the oar back to her and they retook their stances.

”Ready?” Link asked, but before they could get started they were distracted by a sound of great big wings beating. A tall, humanoid bird had landed on the beach. He was wearing a leather cuirass over a warm-looking wool undergarment. There was a bow strapped to his back.

”Ah, there you are, princess,” the Rito said when his eyes landed on Zelda. ”I’m here on behalf of the Rito Champion. He’s struggling a bit with his Divine Beast and needs your assistance.”

The princess’s face lit up upon hearing the request. ”Of course! Tell him we will make our way to Rito Village as fast as we can.”

The Rito made a sound of acknowledgement.

”Oh, and could I ask you to go to the castle and have them bring us our horses and some packing?”

”Of course.”

”I’ll send a letter with you.”

 

_I, princess Zelda, request that you send for my appointed knight’s and my horses — Kato and Jita — and that you send a bag packed with winter clothes and provisions, as we are headed to Rito Village._

_Thank you._

_— Princess Zelda of Hyrule_

 

The princess handed the Rito the sealed envelope containing the short letter.

”Thank you for doing me this favour,” she said as the birdlike creature stuffed the envelope into a pouch on his belt.

”There’s no need to thank me,” he replied. ”I’ll see you back in the village.” He gave both Link and Zelda a friendly nod and took off into the skies. Link watched as the Rito soared northwest and out of sight over the cliffs. The princess, who had been doing the same thing, turned to face Link. She looked quite excited, which, honestly was a nice change compared to the face she had donned just an hour earlier.

”We set out for Rito Village first thing tomorrow morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phew! i really struggled with this one because i'm trying to catch back up to my outline. i still hope you liked this chapter!


	11. Honesty

Zelda’s spirits were much higher after the Rito messenger had left. She spent her evening chatting with the villagers and making sure she and Link would be ready to go as soon as their horses arrived in the morning. Link, on the other hand, was sitting outside the inn, looking out at the fishermen returning home with the day’s catch. In the beginning, he had tried to help the princess get things in order, but he had only been getting in the way, so he had decided to leave her to it and stay out of her way. The setting sun was making the shadows of the cliffs and huts extend towards the ocean like fingers reaching out. Lurelin and the southern coast of Hyrule was a place that Link would be returning to once he got the time and peace of mind. Perhaps he would be accompanied by princess Zelda. He sat for a while, quietly wondering what their lives would look like if Ganon’s return wasn’t looming over their heads. They almost certainly wouldn’t have met or become friendly. But would they be happier? That was both impossible to say and unnecessary to speculate on, seeing as they could not change the way time flowed. Nobody could change the way things were.

”Link!” the princess shouted from the other side of the wall. Link got to his feet and walked over to the window-like hole in the wall where he could see Zelda.

”Yes, princess?” he asked.

”I think we should clean our clothes before tomorrow,” she said, approaching him with her usual blue shirt and brown trousers clutched in her arms. She stopped in front of him to raise an eyebrow at him. ”And I do believe I asked you to stop calling me princess,” she added, and then she disappeared out of Link’s view.

”Sorry,” Link muttered sheepishly after her. It was true that Zelda wanted him to not call her by her title, but old habits die hard. She didn’t seem mad though, because she was soon standing next to Link outside of the inn with her cheery manner still intact.

”Come on, there’s a laundry pool up by the cliff over there,” she said, nodding to the rock face separating the coast and the forest.

The village’s laundry pool was a small pond with a waterfall running into it and water deep enough to swim in. And swim in it they did. Once the newly washed laundry had been hung to dry, Link took a dive straight into the water. He let his fingers brush along the bottom of the pond before pushing himself back up toward the surface.

”Is it nice?” Zelda asked once Link’s head was back above the water.

”Lovely,” Link replied, swimming back to the wooden deck where they’d been washing their clothes minutes earlier. He rested his arms on the wood, lazily paddling his feet in the water. He watched as the princess sat down on the deck and slowly slid down into the water. Her white dress billowed out around her, making her legs nearly impossible to see. She did a few strokes across the pool before coming to rest next to Link.

”You were right,” she said. ”It is lovely.”

Despite the lovely water and Link’s enjoyment of swimming, the sun still set and the two of them still had to get up early the next morning. All too soon they were back at the inn, wrapped up in their blankets and with dripping hair. It was time to turn in for the night.

 

In the morning, the village was a bit more hectic than usual. Not only were fishermen milling about, trying to get ready for a day on the sea, but Link and Zelda were finishing their business as well. It was barely dawn when they were putting on their now dry and clean clothes. The innkeeper was also up and about, cooking them a hearty breakfast; something that Link was more than thankful for when all was said and done. As if on cue, the envoys from the castle arrived with their horses and packing when they had finished eating.

”Thank you for everything,” Zelda told the innkeeper as she got up in her saddle.

”Always a pleasure,” he said. ”Take care on your journey.”

Without further adieu, they left the boat-like houses behind on their way to Tabantha and Rito Village. Once they reached the Faron Woods, they slowed down. ”Do you think we could take the path through Deya Village?” Zelda asked. ”The Bridge of Hylia is a little too high for my tastes.”

”If that’s what you want.”

The path to Deya Village from the woods was not as well-worn nor was it as easy to traverse as the road across Lake Hylia, but it wasn’t impossible. Still, a large part of Link wished they could have just taken the easier route. Getting through the dense forest on horseback was not something he enjoyed doing. After hours of trekking through the greenery, they finally reached the oddly shaped Dracozu Lake where the trail curved off over the foothills.

”I reckon we should stop for a quick rest,” Zelda said, looking up the steep hill. ”I would rather not tackle that hill without something to eat first.” Link agreed and they dismounted. Both of their saddlebags were stuffed with anything they could need for the trip; elixirs, herbs, clothes, and most importantly, food. Nothing too luxurious, but definitely not barebones. Link stuck a hand into his bag and fished out two shiny red apples.

”I believe those are for the horses,” Zelda pointed out.

”I’ll pick them new ones,” he replied and tossed her one of the fruits. She didn’t object. Once they had eaten and Zelda had taken stock of that was in their bags, they were ready to go again. Getting up the hill while riding their horses proved to be practically impossible. They dismounted once more and proceeded to walk their horses up the hill. It was not pleasant.

”Maybe we should have just gone over the bridge,” the princess panted. Link didn’t answer. He was dead set on reaching the top of the hill and did not want to spend energy chatting. When the ground finally smoothened underneath their feet, it was dusk. Not that either of them could see the sun through the clouds covering the sky, leaving the valley ahead of them looking dark and menacing, except for the lights glinting in the windows of the village in the distance. Link and the princess stopped to get back in their saddles.

”We’ll stop in Deya and eat,” Link said. ”Then we can spend the night in Gatepost Town.”

”Not a bad plan,” she replied.

 

Compared to getting up the hill, getting down was easy. They could do without the light rain that was starting to come down, but it wasn’t so bad. Not even the colder air was bothering them much after the ordeal that was getting through Faron with horses.

”Almost there,” Zelda called over the thumping of the hooves. She sounded almost relieved, Link thought. Within minutes, they could hear the distant sounds of the town. People were yelling, tools were clattering, and it almost sounded like being home in Castle Town, until they heard the screech of something that wasn’t human. Something wasn’t right.

 

”Veer,” he ordered the princess.

”What?”

”Veer. Now.”

Without another word, the two of them steered their horses off the trail. Normally Link would go to lend a hand where there was trouble, but he couldn’t risk Zelda’s safety by leaving her alone at this time of day without any kind of weapon. In the distance they could see people fighting off a horde of Bokoblins. The tension in Link’s body dissipated some. At least there were people there that were fighting. That made him feel less guilty about his inability to assist. The further they got, the harder the rain was coming down.

”I can’t see anything. We can’t keep going like this,” the princess said.

”Let’s seek some shelter,” Link agreed. They strayed farther from the path, going up another hill that was dotted with trees.

”What do you think about that over there?” Zelda asked and pointed at a large tree that was accompanied by a kind of concave rock by the looks of it. Link nodded. It looked like it would be good shelter. They got off of their horses, and Link insisted that Zelda should get under cover and he would tie up the horses. When he was sure their steeds were not going anywhere, he returned to the princess, who had found a dry patch of ground to sit on. She looked like she was expecting him to join her, but he was feeling too antsy to sit down. He felt like one of the monsters from the village could come running at them any minute. The thought of that possibility kept him on his feet. He unsheathed his sword and started sparring with the air in front of him. The familiar weight in his hands was quite grounding, and he had soon entered a state of mind where the only things that existed were him, the sword, and the rain. He fell into a rhythm, much like he tended to do when he didn’t have an opponent to go against.

Up. Left. Spin. Right.

The rhythm was as even, and soon his breaths were even as well.

Stab. Down left. Down right.

Over the whoosh of the swinging blade and the sound of pouring rain, he could hear Zelda speaking.

”Your path seems to mirror your father’s. You’ve dedicated yourself to becoming a knight, as well.”

Right. Left. Centre.

”Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfil your goal is quite admirable.”

He stopped what he was doing and glanced at the princess. Her face bore the expression it always had when they had only just met. She looked almost disappointed.

”I see now why you would be the chosen one.” Her eyes left his as she looked down at her feet. ”What if…” she started. ”One day… You realised you just weren’t meant to be a fighter. Yet the only thing people ever said… was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight.”

Link had lowered his sword and turned entirely to face her, turning her his undivided attention.

”If that was the only thing you were ever told… I wonder then… Would you have chosen a different path?”When she fell silent, she finally met his gaze again. Link had no idea what to say, or if she even wanted an answer to the question. Finally, he sat down next to her, but he still didn’t say anything. He didn’t know if he even could.

 

They sat a while in silence before Zelda spoke again. Her voice was soft. Kind.

”Can I ask… How come you’re so quiet?”

Link took a deep breath. Not many people ever asked why he never spoke much. His parents had attributed it to him ”growing up”, his sister was too young to remember anything other than his silence, and none of the other knights had known him before he stopped speaking. He had never thought that Zelda would actually ask him why he wasn’t very talkative, but here they were. Even if some part of him wanted to tell her, wanted to bare his feelings and anxieties, he found himself stalling for time. Another breath. Go on. Just speak.

”You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Zelda added.

”No I— It’s fine. I want to,” Link managed. The princess nodded, but did not say anything else. She waited patiently for him to find the words. Link took one last deep breath.

”This whole… Champion thing,” he said. He fell silent again, looking for the way to explain himself. ”I found the Master Sword when I was thirteen. It was calling to me, and when I found it, I… I was put into training. I never really realised until then that the fate of everyone — the world — was on me. I don’t wish that burden on anyone else; it’s on me to bear it without complaint.” He sighed. The familiar anxious buzzing in his ears was back. His stomach was full of stones and there was a lump in his throat, restricting his breathing. He fought to keep his lungs filled with air. Even though he was looking down at his fidgeting hands, he could feel the princess’s eyes on him.

”I’m sorry,” she said. Her words came so softly they were almost a whisper.

”It’s not your fault,” Link croaked.

”If it’s any solace, I think I understand how you feel…” she said, and Link glanced at her. ”As a daughter of the royal family, I’m supposed to have powers. I’m supposed to be able to stop Ganon, but I can’t. I also lost my childhood to training and training and training, but still, nothing. If I fail…” She trailed off. Link didn’t need to hear the end of the sentence to know what she was about to say. The weight of the world was on two sixteen year-olds. Both of their minds were riddled with the fear of what would happen, should they fail. He felt a weight rest on his shoulder. He looked down and saw the top of Zelda’s blonde head. Still, Link thought as he rested his head on top of hers, it was nice to know that there was someone to help lighten the load.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't have much to say about this chapter other than i hope you liked it!


	12. Reflection

The trip to Rito Village was, despite the distance traveled, over quickly. For the last leg of the journey, Link and Zelda had made the decision to get up extra early so that they could arrive to the village before sundown. It had sounded like a good decision before they had gone to sleep, but now that they were awake before dawn, Link was not as sure. Despite his cold weather-appropriate doublet and woollen socks, he was freezing. He found himself thinking that at least the cold kept him from falling asleep in his saddle. He yawned, and a cloud of white mist streamed out of his mouth.

”Maybe we should have waited until sunrise before setting off…” Zelda mused. ”At least it would have been a little warmer.”

”The faster we get there, the faster we can leave,” Link said.

”That is true,” the princess agreed. She then let out a yawn as well. Link hoped that they would reach their destination soon, if not only so that he could catch up on some sleep.

 

A waft of campfire smoke cut through the cold air, making Link feel reenergised. They had finally arrived. By the bridge connecting Rito Village to the rest of Hyrule, there was a small paddock where travellers’s horses could rest. There was also a Rito attendant there, keeping an eye on the animals. While Link was taking the saddles and halters off the horses, Zelda was politely chatting with the attendant. Once Link was finished, he and the princess finally crossed the final bridges and entered the village. Link had passed by Rito Village before, but he had never actually visited it. From the outside, it looked tall, but well in the village, it felt much less so. At least until he looked down over the banister of one of the many wooden staircases. He was very high up.

”Let’s leave our packing at the inn before we look for Revali,” Zelda said, looking over her shoulder at Link, who nodded in affirmation. He wasn’t very keen on finding the Rito Champion Revali, but the idea of possibly getting to take a rest at the inn was very appealing. Sadly though, he did not get to take his much desired nap. The princess insisted on Link coming along to speak with Revali. What could he do but oblige? They found him soaring through the air by the biggest of the many wooden platforms spread out across the town.

”Ah, there you are, princess!” he called out on his way back down towards them. ”Link,” he added, voice suddenly much colder. Link didn’t respond.

”I understand there’s something troubling you with Vah Medoh?” Zelda asked.

”Yes,” he said. ”It’d be easiest if I just showed you.” He extended her a wing. ”I can fly you up there.”

”That would be great, thank you.”

Revali shot a look at Link. ”But I’m afraid I can’t bring your little bodyguard, your highness,” he said.

”I’m sure Link will do just fine on the ground.” Zelda looked at Link with her eyebrows slightly raised. ”Right?”

”Right,” Link assured her. He would do just fine on the ground. He leaned against the wood railing of the platform and quietly watched the Rito and the princess soar off to the Divine Beast. Out of all the Champions, he liked Revali the least. Sure, he was probably the most skilled archer Link had ever met, and he was the best candidate to pilot Vah Medoh, but that did not make up for the attitude he had. Link had only met Revali twice before, and both times he had been… difficult. Perhaps arrogant was a better word. That did not seem to have changed since their last meeting. At least Zelda didn’t visit Rito Village a lot — which meant that Link didn’t have to do so either. And at least he did not have to be trapped up in that Divine Beast with Revali. Link looked up at the giant birdlike machine in the sky above. How long would they be up there?

 

”Hey mister!”

Link tore his gaze from Vah Medoh and looked for whoever had just spoken. It was a very small Rito. Her feathers shifted in ocean green and her head reached no further than halfway up Link’s thigh.

”Hello,” he answered, kneeling down to her level.

”You’re a Hylian,” she said. The statement confused Link a little. It wasn’t a question.

”I am.”

”Have you seen the castle then?” she asked excitedly.

”I have. I live there,” he said, and the look the Rito child gave him was so adorable that he nearly melted on the spot.

”Ohhhhh!!! Do you know the princess? Are you here with her?”

”Actually, I am.”

”You’re lying,” she said and ran off. What had just happened? Kids, he thought to himself.

 

Now that he was left alone again, the boredom started to set in. His travels with the princess seemed like epic adventures compared to the dullness of sitting around, alone, in a small, peaceful hamlet. Well, no, his travels with the princess weren’t very eventful either, but at least they could talk to each other. What was there even to do in Rito Village? He knew there was a flight range where the Rito practised archery, but he couldn’t in good conscience stray too far from the village without Zelda. He looked around the wooden deck and found nothing of real interest. Since there was nothing else to do, he sat down on the edge of the platform and let his feet dangle freely. Below the edge, there was nothing but air for at least 200 feet, and below that, the smooth, crystal blue surface of a lake. The height was almost enough to give him vertigo. He averted his eyes from the lake far below him and instead focused his attention on his jacket. He was absentmindedly picking at the hem of it. His mother had given him the doublet as a birthday gift when he turned fifteen. ”For my very own little knight,” she had said and she had hugged him. At the time, he had squirmed uncomfortably. Had it happened now, he wasn’t so sure he would squirm. He hadn’t seen or spoken to his mother in months; it felt like an eternity since they last saw each other. He found himself missing her more and more these days. Today, his desire to just see his mother hit him like a kick in the gut. There was a lump growing in the back of his throat, and the oh too familiar buzzing was filling his head. Ganon could attack at any moment. There was a very real risk that that would happen before Link got to see his parents again or before he got to give his sister a hug. The lump in his throat was restricting his breathing. He couldn’t do this. Not here. Not now. Come on, Link, breathe. He closed his eyes and took the longest breath in that he could muster, which wasn’t to say that it was very long. His exhale was shaky, but oddly calming. He took yet another breath. This one was deeper, and the next one was steadier. Soon, the buzzing was subsiding and he could hear the sound of flapping wings around him. He looked behind him and saw Revali and Zelda land on the platform with a _thump_. Link didn’t know whether he was thankful they were finally back or if he was filled with dread at their timing.

”Link!” Zelda shouted gleefully at him. ”I wish you could have seen the view from up there, it was phenomenal!”

”Too bad there was no one to take you,” Revali said with a glint in his eyes that told Link that it in fact was not _too bad_.

”How is Medoh doing?” Link asked. ”Are we ready to leave?”

Zelda gave him an apologetic look. ”I want to go back and check on it later tonight. I’m afraid we have to stay the night.” She turned to Revali. ”Would you mind showing us around? You know the area better than either of us.”

”Of course, your highness. Why don’t you run ahead; I would like a word with Link here.”

The princess nodded politely. ”Of course. I’ll wait for you by the inn.”

When Zelda was out of earshot, Revali made a dramatic turn on his heel to face Link.

”So! How’s the flying coming along? Oh, wait.”

Already, the remnants of Link’s anxiety was turning into exasperation and annoyance. He took a deep breath to steady himself. The last thing he wanted was to give the Rito Champion the reaction he wanted and snap.

”Not even a response, hm? Is the _Chosen_ _Hero_ too good for that? Just the princess that’s at your level huh?”

Don’t snap.

”Are you always that high and mighty or is it the sword?”

Against the will of every fibre of his being, Link gave Revali a glare that would freeze fire if it could. ”Shut it.”

”Oh! There it is! Too good to be civil with your underlings?”

”Stop talking.” Link shoved past Revali and walked down the narrow stairs towards the inn, where Zelda was waiting patiently for him and Revali. She looked up at him with a polite smile.

”Did it go well?” she asked. Link didn’t answer, he just walked past her. From behind him he could hear Revali speak:

”Don’t mind him — he can’t handle the hard truth.” His voice was full of mock pity. Link was seething. He wasn’t some baby, nor was he going to let himself get insulted time and time again. ”I’ll take you on a walk, princess. Let the hero brood in his own time,” Revali said.

 

* * *

 

The Rito Flight Range was not very Hylian friendly, but it was the best place Link had available to him to vent his frustrations. A young Rito archer had lent him her Swallow Bow and a bundle of arrows. The bow was light in his hands and it was wrapped in colourful cloth; very unlike all the bows Link had used before. Hylians was just not as cut out for archery as the Rito were.

”I’m going back to the village now, uh, just leave the bow here when you’re done. I’ll pick it up in the morning,” the archer said.

”Sure.” Link watched as she took off into the darkening sky. He would have to go back soon as well, it would soon be too dark to properly aim his arrows. The quiver at his feet had four arrows still left in it. He decided he would empty the quiver before going back. He fished out one of the arrows, holding it between his middle and index fingers. He carefully nocked the arrow and raised the bow, pulling the bowstring back all the way to his ear. He took a deep breath in, and when he exhaled he let his shoulders relax a bit. On his next breath out, he let go of the arrow. He watched it soar through the air. It hit the edge of one of the targets with a soft, satisfying _thunk_.

”Link?”

Link was so startled by the princess’s voice that he nearly dropped the bow. He looked over his shoulder at her, but didn’t say anything.

”What happened today?” she asked. She spoke so softly her words were almost a whisper. Once again Link didn’t answer. He just quietly nocked another arrow, repeating all the motions he had done before the princess arrived.

”Is it Revali?”

He let the arrow fly. It hit the rock wall behind the target with a _tick_ and fell into the depths below.

”He’s not very nice,” he muttered.

”He’s… confident…”

”And I’m confident he’s a jerk.”

”You don’t know him that well, just-”

”I’m not giving him the benefit of the doubt, Zelda.”

”Link, I know he can be difficult, but if you just give him some time-”

”No. Look- I refuse to just let him insult me like that!” Link snapped. The arrow he had just fired completely missed both the target and the pillar-like rock the target was mounted to. For the second time today, he felt his body tense up and the buzzing was reverberating through his head again. He hadn’t meant to snap at her. He braced himself for her retort, but it never came. Instead she gently but determinedly twisted the bow out of his grip and propped it up against the wall. She turned back to face him and firmly grabbed his forearms.

”Hey. I know it’s not easy, but please, _try_ to put up with him. For the sake of the world.”

Link opened his mouth as if to speak, but his voice failed him. He closed his mouth again and nodded. He swallowed thickly and tried again:

”I’ll try.”

”Good,” Zelda said and let go of his arms. ”Now, let’s go back so I can go to sleep.”

 

* * *

 

The morning was bright and somehow even colder than the morning before. Winter was approaching with long strides; especially up here in the north. Link sat with a blanket over his shoulders on his hammock-slash-bed, drinking a cup of warm milk seasoned with some herbs. Zelda was currently saying goodbye to Revali and the Divine Beast — thankfully, she had let Link opt out in favour for a few extra minutes of sleep. She was kind, even after he took his anger out on her, which was completely unjustified. In all honesty, he felt bad about it. After all their efforts to understand each other, he felt so guilty about just… snapping. He could see Zelda’s boots coming down the stairs again as she returned to the inn.

”Oh you’re up. Are you ready to go?”

”Mhm..” Link nodded and chugged the remainder of his beverage. ”You’re all packed?”

”Yes.”

”Let’s go then.”

They walked out of the village in silence. Link was looking out over the series of bridges they were about to cross. It was a pity that this place was so beautiful when he felt such resentment for it.

”Hold on a second,” Zelda said when they reached the bottom of the stairs. She was looking at the small goddess statue that was sitting in a little alcove, protected from the elements. The princess knelt before it and reached into a pouch that hung from her belt, and out of it she fished a small bundle of flowers. She placed the flowers at the statue’s feet and put her hands together in a quick prayer.

”Uhm, Zelda,” Link said as she unclasped her hands. ”I feel like I should apologise for last night. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. I’m sorry.”

She looked at him with an expression Link couldn’t read. ”Thank you,” she said. ”I accept your apology.” She stood up and brushed the dust off of her knees. ”Now let’s go before we freeze to the spot.”

”Let’s.”

 

On the road home, they chatted amicably about this and that. The frozen road crunched under their horses’s hooves, and as the day was starting to turn into night, the first snowflakes of the season landed in their hair.

”I always liked snow,” Zelda said, looking up at the softly falling snow. ”It’s so fascinating, the way the water in the clouds freezes into intricate crystals — and all of them are unique!”

”I just think it looks nice,” Link said. ”I’m not a scientist.”

”No, I know,” the princess chuckled. ”I think it looks nice too. It’s beautiful.”

”Yeah.”

Link heard Zelda draw a deep breath on his right, and he glanced over at her.

”Pardon me for asking, but what happened with you at the flight range last night? You just kind of… tensed up. Your eyes looked all glassy.”

”I shouldn’t bother you with that, princess.”

”Mm,” she said, fog coming out of her nose. ”It wouldn’t be a bother, you know.”

”Hm?”

”If you ever decide to tell me. It wouldn’t be a bother.”

Link chuckled softly, and his vision was obscured by the mist his breath formed. ”I’m fine. You have enough on your plate.” And it was true. Zelda had enough to think about; he couldn’t possibly let his own problems weigh on her conscience, it just wasn’t right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! i'm sorry that i didn't post last weekend; i was very busy last week and i needed to take some time for other things, but i'm back on the horse now and i think i should be able to update this fic weekly until it's finished!


	13. Fear

Winter as Zelda’s appointed knight was quite still. Still in the way that Link and the princess had not been on the road almost at all since the snow started falling. Despite all the time spent in the castle and its surroundings, Link could rarely go a day without being put to work. Hyrulean knights were, in times of peace, more than just law enforcement. They could often be seen helping out in clearing the roads and walkways of snow, seeing to it that children did not give themselves frostbite, or making sure that the denizens of Castle Town had enough firewood to keep warm. When Link did not need to spend his time with the princess, he was more often than not also doing things like shovelling snow or hauling bundles of wood to households that could not do that work themselves. So, in total, his life had not exactly slowed down just because he was traveling less during the winter months. On top of the usual knightly duties, one of the castle stablehands had noticed that Link had a certain affinity for animals — horses especially, and asked if maybe he could come and help out during busy days, because of course there were busy days. Winter brought the king’s birthday and markets, and an array of other occasions that warranted visitors to the castle. At least Link’s duties in the stable weren’t as exhaustive, nor exhausting as certain other things he had been appointed to do; he mostly just took care of gear such as saddles and reins, making sure they were clean and whole and in the right place for when the visitors were to be on their way once more. In many cases, a job well done could earn him a few extra rupees, which was always nice. Maybe he could buy his parents something nice from the market soon.

 

When the winter market opened in Castle Town, Zelda asked if they could take a look at it together.

”I didn’t take you for a marketplace kind of person,” Link teased as they walked by the first stands.

”Normally, you’d be quite right,” she said, leaning over a table to look at the pelts neatly placed on top of it. ”But Father has been breathing down my neck for the past few days and I am desperate for a break.”

”He’s bothering you?” he asked.

”You could say that,” Zelda muttered. ”I don’t care to discuss it in public. You’d understand if you were there.”

”Of course.”

They walked a lap around the market, looking at a few different stands that intrigued them. Link was looking at a collection of handmade jewellery — perhaps a good gift for his mother — when he finally thought to ask.

”Are you planning to buy anything, princess?”

Zelda looked away from the display of leather-bound journals she had been viewing to look at Link. ”Uhm, maybe… It’s my father’s birthday soon and I have no gift for him yet. Do you think he would appreciate a journal?”

Link turned away from the stand he had been looking at to better see the journals the princess was talking about. He picked one up and flipped through the smooth, blank pages. ”You know him better than I. He’s your father.”

She sighed lightly and took the book out of Link’s hands. ”I suppose you’re right.” She carefully inspected the paper and the leather. ”It certainly is a good piece of craftsmanship. I think the king would like it.” She handed the merchant a handful of brightly coloured rupees with a smile.

”Oh no, I would be pleased to give it to you at a discount, princess!” the merchant — a young man with short black hair, dark skin and high cheekbones — said, trying to get Zelda to take some of her money back.

”Don’t be silly. I insist on paying you full price,” she said and put the rupees down on the table in front of the merchant.

”You’re too kind, your Highness,” the merchant said as a wide smile spread across his face. Zelda tucked the book safely into her coat when they walked away from the market and back towards the castle.

”Thank you for accompanying me, Link,” she said when they walked through the castle gate. ”I’m afraid I will have to let you get back to work now though. I promised Father that I would join him for lunch.”

”Good luck,” he told her.

”Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

The king’s birthday was celebrated with much more pomp and circumstance than Link could remember from last year. Guests from far and wide were coming to congratulate his Highness, and with all the extra people roaming the castle and the town below it, Link was almost always by the princess’s side. Not only was it for her safety, but Link had been told it made the Hyrulean royal guard look even better if he could be seen doing his job well. Link thought it sounded banal, but he understood that a large part of the celebration was making the royal family and those associated with it look good, so he spent a lot of his days in the sanctum and the royal dining room, standing in silence behind the princess. Never had he been so bored in his duties as Zelda’s knight. He would even rather have her screaming and yelling at him like she had done up by the ancient columns.

”How are you faring?” Link asked as he escorted Zelda back to her room at the end of the second day of celebration.

”I was going to ask you the same thing,” she said with a chuckle. ”It’s all quite dull, isn’t it?”

”Quite,” he responded, and Zelda chuckled once more. ”You know… after getting to know you more, it feels strange to see you so stiff again.”

”Stiff?”

”Oh you know, all silent and straight-backed.”

Link gave her a look with raised eyebrows. ”I could say the same for you.”

Zelda smiled a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. ”I suppose the formal scene is not either of our place.” She reached up towards her hairline to take of the golden tiara that had been perched there for most of the day.

”No, I suppose not…” he said. ”Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, why is the celebration so much bigger this year?”

”It’s his sixtieth birthday, so of course it’s cause for celebration,” she said. ”I think it’s bigger than necessary, but if Father is happy, then I can’t really complain.”

”That makes sense.”

The further away they got from the dining hall, the quieter their surroundings got — with the odd exception of Urbosa’s laughter echoing surprisingly far. She really could get loud when she had a drink. But after a while, not even the Gerudo chief’s loud voice could be heard, only the sound of two pairs of shoes on carpet. It was actually very nice to be away from all the noise. There was finally room to think; though there was, for once, not much to think about. Instead he found himself absentmindedly watching Zelda comb her fingers through her hair, letting some of it fall out from behind her ears.

”What?” she asked when she caught him staring.

”Sorry, lost in thought,” he said. He felt a heat spread across his cheeks as he turned his head forward again.

It wasn’t long before they reached Zelda’s bedroom door, and it was time to say good night.

”Early morning tomorrow,” she said. ”The Zora royal family will probably arrive before lunch.”

”Yeah,” Link said. ”Better get some sleep then.”

”Yeah.” The princess ran her hands over the deep blue skirt of her formal dress, and Link could tell how much she wanted to be out of it. Once again his cheeks threatened to go red.

”Well, I’ll come fetch you tomorrow,” he said, scratching the back of his neck, suddenly feeling awkward.

”Yes. I will see you tomorrow then.”

”Yes. Good night, princess.”

”It’s just us. You don’t need to call me princess,” she said. Why was he suddenly so out of it? Lately he didn’t have trouble making conversation with Zelda, so what had happened?

”Sorry. Good night.”

”Good night.”

 

After four straight days of celebration, Link was ready to figuratively leap from the bridge of Hylia. Day in and day out, he was on his feet, listening to dull, formal conversation and escorting Zelda wherever she went. She had also gotten progressively more tense as the days went by. She was very good at hiding it around the guests, but as soon as it was just her and Link she would shuffle uncomfortably in her dress, crack her knuckles and chew on the insides of her cheeks. Link had tried to get her to vent her frustrations, but to no avail. At least the guests were leaving now, as the fourth and final day came to a close. Link had, to his surprise been removed from his duties as an appointed knight to assist back in the stable when everybody was leaving. When he arrived, he understood why. The poor stablehands looked so overwhelmed as they saddled horse after horse that Link was surprised none of them had passed out yet. Not only were the two stablehands stressed out, but the horses were too. Tails were flicking back and forth in the boxes and many of them neighed loudly. As soon as Link was in the stable, he sprung into action. One of the stablehands dumped a saddle and bridle in his arms and pointed him to a horse; a palomino mare that was a bit of a pain to handle. Getting the saddle on was the easy part, but putting the bridle on proved to be a bit more of a challenge. He struggled for longer than he cared to admit with just putting the bit into her mouth. Once the bridle was almost on he nearly got headbutted to the floor and he finally understood why it was called nightmare. Most of the other horses he dealt with were less difficult to deal with — especially after giving them an apple or a carrot to munch on.

”Thank the Goddess there aren’t more big parties like this in a year,” the younger stablehand — Cara — panted once the final guests had gotten their steeds back. Talph, the other stablehand wiped his brow and nodded in agreement.

”You two go home,” Link said. ”I can take care of any stragglers.”

”Really?” Cara replied, and she looked like she was about to give him a great big hug, but thankfully she refrained. ”Thank you so much.”

”You’re a lifesaver,” Talph said, already on his way out. Cara bent down to scratch the head of one of the cats that made its home in and around the stable on her way out. The cat, that the stablehands had lovingly dubbed Scrap, trilled appreciatively and rubbed its head on Cara’s boot. Finally, Link was alone. Maybe ”alone” was a stretch, but at least he got some time for himself. With Scrap in tow, he checked in on all the horses still in the stable, making sure that they were fed and watered and that they weren’t absolutely filthy.

”What do you think, Scrap?” he asked the grey tabby once he had checked on the final horse. ”Did I do a good job?”

The cat meowed in response, stretched, and yawned.

”Me too,” Link mumbled as he knelt down to pet the cat. It really was quite scrappy. Some of its whiskers were shorter than others, and it had a small gash in its left ear.

”Been in some fights, eh?” he asked, gently scratching the little creature between its ears. The cat didn’t respond. Link didn’t feel like returning to the royal guard’s chambers just yet, it was as good as guaranteed to be full of people for another while, and now that Link was finally in the quiet, he wanted to stay there for a while. He sat down in a pile of clean hay with a heavy sigh. He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back, eyes closed. The hay wasn’t very comfortable, but at least it was better than the floor or the snow. He felt a pair of tiny paws weigh down on his stomach, and he released one of his hands to pet Scrap, who almost immediately started kneading his stomach with its paws. Maybe he should get a cat some day.

 

Link was awoken from a sleepy haze by noise outside the stable doors. How long had he been asleep for? The lanterns lining the walls had yet to go out, and the world outside was still dark, so not too long. Still, whether it had been hours or minutes was a mystery. He listened intently for more sounds. It sounded kind of like… whimpering? What in the world was going on? He sat up without realising that Scrap had been asleep on his stomach. He ignored the cat’s groan and nudged it off of his lap. It quickly curled back up in the hay and went back to sleep. Outside, the whimpering sounds continued. Maybe whimpering wasn’t the right word, though. Perhaps it sounded more like troubled breathing, or sobbing. Either way Link felt that he needed to help. He exited the stable and looked up and down the dark path outside. It must have been at least midnight; almost no lights were visible from the castle windows above him. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something move. He hadn’t seen it before, but there was something on the path leading to the castle. It looked kind of small and hunched over. Was it an animal? The closer he got though, the more sure he was that it was not an animal. His heart sank in his chest as he realised what — or rather who it was.

”Zelda.” The word escaped him under his breath and he hurried closer.

She looked like she had collapsed, right there on the path, and Link could hear her hyperventilate. At least she was wearing a coat.

”Zelda?” he asked, kneeling down beside her. He did not get an answer out of her. ”Zelda?” he asked again, a little louder.

She gasped for air on the ground below him. It sounded like she was trying to speak but that she could not find the air to do it. She did, however manage to lift her head to look up at him. Her cheeks glistened with tears and her eyes looked red and swollen, and she looked like she was not fully aware that she was looking at him. She was not okay. Link knew that look.

”Are you hurt?” Link asked, and the princess shook her head just in the slightest. ”Can you sit up?” he asked.

With shaking arms, she pushed herself from the ground, and sat up. Her breaths still came out as shallow sobs as she struggled to get air into her lungs. Slowly, Link stretched out a hand towards her, and she took it in an iron grip.

Link found her eyes and looked into them. ”Breathe with me,” he said. She nodded, and Link took a deep breath in. Zelda tried her best to follow.

”It’ll pass,” Link soothed her. ”Just breathe.”

After a little while of just breathing, Zelda seemed to have gotten control over her breathing again. She was still trembling and did not make an effort to stand up or to wipe her eyes. Link shuffled a little closer, in case her arms should give out from under her.

”You can lean on me,” he mumbled to her. ”If that’s easier.”

Wordlessly, she obliged, and leaned her shoulder into his chest, her head on his shoulder, where she kept breathing as slowly and steadily as she could.

”What happened?” Link finally asked.

”I don’t- don’t know… All those pe-people… I’ve doomed them if I can’t- can’t-” she took a shaky breath before she finished her sentence. ”If I can’t find my powers… the world will end. I fully realised that today. Th-the world is going to end. Father doesn’t think I can. I don’t think I can. I can’t. I don’t want to.”

Link closed his arms around the shivering princess, careful to not hold her too tight.

”It’s not fair,” she sobbed.

”No,” Link agreed. ”It’s not.”

Zelda’s body shook with new sobs.

”Thank you for being so kind to me,” she said, clutching on to the back of his jacket for dear life.

”Anything for you.”

The words came with such ease, it was almost like some kind of revelation to him. Anything for her. He never even realised it until now.

 

* * *

 

”Could you hand me a new candle?”

Link put down the biscuit he was just about to bite into. ”Where do you…?”

”I keep them in the drawer behind you,” Zelda said without looking up from the notes she had been writing on for the last hour or so. Link stood up and started digging through the drawer she had pointed him to. It felt kind of wrong to do so, even though he knew that the princess would not let him look through any of her belongings if he ran the risk of finding anything personal. Not that she seemed to be the kind of person to keep her personal things in her study. Among quite neat stacks of research notes, dried flowers and various tools he found the candles. They were nothing too fancy, just regular white candles. He took one of them in his hand and gave it to the princess, who proceeded to light it and kept writing.

”Why don’t you use a lamp?” Link asked, sitting back down on the stool he had previously occupied.

”I used to, but I ran out of oil a while ago and I keep forgetting to ask for a refill,” she said. ”And it hasn’t really been necessary until now, but it’s so dark with the storm outside.”

Link couldn’t help but to agree. Natural light in Zelda’s study had probably been enough to get by when there wasn’t a blizzard raging outside — not that he had spent any previous time in her study. Zelda sighed for what to Link was probably the hundredth time and put her quill back in the ink pot.

”I can’t concentrate with all this wind,” she groaned.

”I think it’s soothing,” Link said.

”I don’t understand you sometimes,” she said with a wry smile. Link was just about to return the favour when there was a heavy knocking on the locked door.

” _Zelda! Open up!_ ” the king’s voice sounded through the wood. Link threw a look at the door and then at the princess, who looked like she was about to have another nervous breakdown as she stared at the door. Acting on instinct, Link took her hand in his and gently squeezed. After a second, her eyes found his.

”You’ll be fine,” he whispered. ”I’m right here.”

She nodded and inhaled sharply. Letting go of his hand, she stood up and unlocked the door. As king Rhoam stepped into the study, Link sank down on one knee.

”As soon as the weather clears, I need you to go pray. There isn’t time for… this,” he said, gesturing to the cluttered study.

”Father, I already pray every single day, you can’t possibly expect me to never do anything _I_ want to do,” she said meekly. She was not meeting her father’s eyes.

”Zelda, I’m sorry, but you have to do this. It is non-negotiable.”

”If you were sorry you would consider my feelings,” she muttered.

”What did you say?” the king asked.

Zelda looked her father in the face. ”I said, if you were actually sorry then you would consider my feelings in the matter. It’s as if you don’t think I do enough.” Her voice was a little shaky, but she managed to keep it under control.

King Rhoam let out an exasperated sigh. ”Sometimes I think you don’t put your heart in it,” he said, and Link could hear the restrain in his voice. Sometimes it was very evident that Zelda was the king’s daughter. Both of them could have quite the temperament.

”Father, can’t you just, _please_ , believe in me?” she asked, and despite her restraint, her voice cracked on the ’please’.

”I do believe in you, but-”

”There’s always a but, isn’t there?”

The king did not respond.

”Fine,” Zelda mumbled, looking down at her boots. ”I’ll go.”

”Good,” the king said, and exited the room. When the door was closed again, the princess sank back down into her chair and buried her face in her hands.

 

”How did you know what to do?” she asked when she looked up at him. ”The other night, when you found me?”

”I… I feel like that sometimes too,” he said.

”Oh,” Zelda said. ”Is that when your eyes go all glassy?”

”Yeah.”

Zelda got back on her feet and put her arms around Link. ”I’m sorry,” she said into the crook of his neck.

Slowly, Link’s arms closed around Zelda, his palms pressing against her back. ”It’s not your fault.”

”Sometimes I feel like it is,” she said, her words not much more than a whisper.

”It couldn’t ever be.”

Zelda raised her head from his shoulder. Her eyes looked a bit tearful.

”I…” she said, but trailed off. She couldn’t seem to find the right words, but she didn’t need them. Instead, she pressed her lips firmly against his. An action can say more than words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of a late update (sorry about that), but i've been planning this chapter for a while and i wanted it to be as good as i could make it, so i thought i'd delay it a bit. i hope you enjoyed it!


	14. Deciding

Link had barely had any time to kiss her back when she pulled away. The look on her her face when she did so, Link could best describe as coy — her cheeks were flushed a bright pink and her eyebrows were drawn together in a frown — though he really understand why her face looked like that, because he could have sworn that his knees buckled under him when she kissed him. That must have been a good thing since he was longing for that sudden weakness in the knees and jolt in the abdomen again. Without as much as a word, he leaned in and took the chance to kiss her as well. This time, the princess’s hands found the sides of his face, and from there they made their way partway into his hair. Link’s hands found the small of her back, where he pressed her closer to him. He suddenly could not get enough contact with her, he wanted their bodies to be pressed against each other wherever possible. Chest to chest. Thighs to thighs. Mouth to mouth. Zelda let her lips part a bit; she tasted a bit like caramel, not unlike the biscuits they had been eating earlier. When they pulled away from each other again, Zelda smiled sadly at him. Then she sighed.

”I’m sorry,” she said. Her voice sounded breathless.

”Don’t be,” Link replied, his voice of a similar breathlessness. He rested his forehead against hers, taking a moment to savour what had just happened. Maybe some good could come from their unfair, impending and terrifying fates being intertwined. Zelda sighed lightly and let her arms fall from where they were resting on his shoulders.

”I wish we could have ended up like this under different circumstances…” she said.

Link let the princess out from his arms and instead took her hands in his. ”So do I. But I doubt that could actually have happened.”

”I suppose you’re right…” She glanced down at the floor, biting her lower lip in contemplation. ”I wonder though, what do we do now?”

Link raised his eyebrows slightly. ”What do you mean?”

”We can’t actually be together, right? I’m sure my father would be less than pleased if I don’t put my absolute everything into unlocking my powers; especially if I let myself get distracted by you of all people,” she mumbled, still not looking at Link. Link sighed. She was probably right, and Link couldn’t in good conscience make things more difficult for her. Still, now that he knew what being close with her was like, he was more than reluctant to stop. It just hurt. He sighed again.

”I… You get to decide. Whatever makes you happier,” he finally said. Zelda was completely still for a moment, and the only thing that told the world that she wasn’t petrified was her shoulders rising and falling as she breathed. She took one last breath, deeper than the rest and let go of Link’s hands. When she finally looked Link in the eyes she was blinking rapidly and crossed her arms over her chest.

”It doesn’t make me happier,” she said, her voice trembling. She looked away again. ”But I don’t think we can do this. Not now. I’m sorry.”

Link nodded, chewing lightly on the inside of his cheek. ”I understand. I just wonder, why did you kiss me if you knew nothing could come from it?” he asked.

”I- I was feeling overwhelmed and you were just so kind and I had wanted to do it for a long time and it just felt _right_. That’s no excuse, I know and if I had thought then I wouldn’t have.”

The silence between them was loaded with words unspoken.

Link could not, no matter how hard he tried, find the words that he wanted to say. On the one hand, he understood the princess and he felt sorry for her; but on the other hand he was angry. At the same time as he wanted to do his everything to comfort her, he wanted to yell, storm off and slam doors. His emotions were at war with each other and Link was left speechless in the wake of it.

 

”It’s for the best,” he finally said. His voice was surprisingly even when he spoke.

Zelda sat down on her chair and pulled her knees up towards her chest. ”I really shouldn’t have done this to you. It’s all my fault. I-”

”Don’t apologise,” Link interrupted her. ”Like I said, it’s for the best.” Maybe if he kept saying that, it would start sounding like the truth. ”I understand.”

”It’s not that I don’t want to be with you,” Zelda said. ”You make me feel so safe, Link. It’s like I feel like everything will be fine when you’re there.” Now there were tears rolling down her cheeks. ”And it makes me so _happy_ that I get to feel that. No matter how I twist or turn it, Link, _you_ make me happy.”

This time when Link spoke, his voice was no longer very even. ”I- you-” he started, but trailed off. The lump in his throat made it difficult to speak. He swallowed. Tried again. ”That’s-”

”I feel like I ruined it,” she continued without letting Link finish. ”You’re the one person in this castle who makes me feel like I’m not all alone and I ruined it all by kissing you.”

”You say that like I didn’t kiss you back,” he said, putting a hand on top of her knee. Zelda’s own hand came to rest on top of it.

”Is this the right thing to do?” she asked.

”I don’t know,” Link admitted.

”What do you think? Is it silly of me to care so much what Father thinks?”

Link chewed a little on his bottom lip, looking for a response. ”I think it’s cruel of him to think you don’t deserve things you want,” he finally said. Zelda looked at him, eyebrows drawn together.

”Do you really think so?”

”Of course. You do so much. You deserve something that makes you happy, Zelda.”

The princess looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath.

”What are you doing?” Link asked.

”Trying not to kiss you again,” she mumbled without looking away from the wooden beams supporting the roof above her. ”You’re not making it easy, you know.”

Link felt his face grow hotter as his gaze found his boots. ”Neither are you,” he said. He felt Zelda’s fingers close around his hand as she stood up. ”Wh-?”

”Come on,” she said, leading him across the small study towards the door.

”Zelda- what are you doing?”

The princess nearly shoved him out the door and onto the snowy walkway and ushered him forward. ”I’m trying to make the right decision,” she shouted over the howling wind. The two of them hurried from Zelda’s study toward her room. Zelda led the way across her bedroom and reached for the door, but rather than reaching for the handle, she reached for the key and turned it in the lock. She had barely turned back around after the lock had clicked before Link had her pressed up against the door, kissing her fiercely. He ran his fingers through her soft hair and let his hand rest on the back of her neck. Her hands fumbled for his belt, and when she found it, she grabbed onto it and pulled him as close as she could. Link let his lips stray from hers and wander across her cheek, jaw and neck. The sound of her breathing getting heavier and the feeling of her quickening pulse under his lips only spurred him on.

”This is just for tonight,” she panted. ”Okay?”

”Okay,” he murmured, coming back up to kiss her on the lips again.

 

The cold air of the rest of the castle was very unappealing compared to the warmth of Zelda nestled comfortably next to him. No matter how pleasant this moment was though, the princess had said that this was only for tonight. He slowly started shifting away from her to return to his own room, when she closed her fist around the fabric of his shirt.

”No,” she murmured into the crook of his neck. ”Please stay.”

”You said-”

”Mmmmh… It’s not tomorrow yet.” She shuffled closer and sighed. Not that Link could really complain. He liked this. Zelda’s presence was warm, comforting and nearly enough to lull him to sleep by itself, and to top it off, the mattress under him was much softer than his own. He let his fingers tangle in her soft golden locks. Her contented sigh nearly made his heart melt. Zelda’s hands snuck their way in under his shirt where she slowly ran the tips of her fingers up and down his spine. Her touch sent pleasant shivers through his body. No, of course he couldn’t complain. Their legs were tangled together and both of them were breathing slowly.

”Do you think you could spend the night?” she asked. ”I don’t want you to go.”

Link pressed a kiss to the top of Zelda’s head.

”I’ll stay for as long as you want,” he whispered.

”Thank you.”

 

In the morning, Link was stirred awake by Zelda stroking his hair out of his face.

”Hey,” he mumbled, his voice raspy and unworn.

Zelda smiled gently at him. ”Hi.”

”Sleep well?”

”Better than lately,” she said, still with that gentle smile on her lips. She was so beautiful. The pale morning light shining in through the windows only added to the beauty of the scene. Link revelled in the moment, basking in the heat of her body next to his.

”I think this was a mistake,” she murmured. The softness of her voice clanged dissonantly with the severity of her words. ”You shouldn’t have stayed.”

”Really?” he asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

”Yes. Now that I have you, how could I just let you go?”

The words made Link soar — figuratively speaking.

”You don’t,” he told her.

Zelda smiled sadly at him and pushed herself up into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard of the bed.

”I think I have to, for both our sakes.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> on this episode of things get messy... i hope you enjoyed!
> 
> also i'm sorry this chapter's shorter than usual!! this was the best spot to end off before the next chapter. i'll try to make up for the length there! i hope you liked this chapter anyway, and thank you for reading it! 
> 
> i also want to take a moment to thank everyone who's commented! you're all so nice and your comments make my day. thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos/comments are greatly appreciated!
> 
> (a heads-up that this fic is on a bit of a hiatus for the moment being. i intend on finishing it, i just can't say when. thanks)


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